























3 ( 

I 
















CLOVER. 











She half sat, half leaned, on the slope of the rock well under cover ; while he stretched himself at full 

length on a higher ledge, and held the bridles fast.” — Poge 24-^. 





CLOVER. 

BY 

SUSAN COOLIDGE, 

AUTHOR OF 

“what katv did,” "what katy did at school,” “ what katydid next,” 

“a LITTLE COUNTRY GIRL,” “ THE NEW-YEAR’s BARGAIN,” “MISCHIEFS 
THANKSGIVING,” “ EYEBRIGHT,” “CROSS PATCH,” “NINE 
LITTLE GOSLINGS,” ‘‘a ROUND DOZEN,” 

“a GUERNSEY LILY.” 


OTitJ Illustrations 

By JESSIE McDERMOT. 


BOSTON: 

ROBERTS BROTHERS 

1888. 





<> 






ylm 

an 


Copyrighty 1888, 

By Roberts Brothers. 



Sanfbersftg ^ress: 

John Wilson and Son, Cambuidge. 


CONTENTS 


Chapter Page 

I. A Talk on the Doorsteps 7 

II. The Day of Happy Letters 29 

III. The First Wedding in the Family . . 51 

IV. Two Long Years in One Short Chapter 80 

V. Car Forty-seven 102 

VI. St. Helen’s 132 

VII. Making Acquaintance 163 

VIII. High Valley 190 

IX. Over a Pass 220 

X. No. 13 Piute Street 250 

XI. The Last of the Clover-leaves . . . 280 


CLOVER. 


CHAPTEK 1. 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 



|T was one of those afternoons in late 
April which are as mild and balmy 
as any June day. The air was full 
of the chirps and twitters of nest-building 
birds, and of sweet indefinable odors from 
half-developed leaf-buds and cherry and 
pear blossoms. The wisterias overhead were 
thickly starred with pointed pearl-colored 
sacs, growing purpler with each hour, which 
would be flowers before long; the hedges 
were quickening into life, the long pensile 
willow-boughs and the honey-locusts hung 
in a mist of fine green against the sky, and 


8 


CLOVER. 


delicious smells came with every puff of 
wind from the bed of white violets under 
the parlor windows. 

Katy and Clover Carr, sitting with their 
sewing on the door-steps, drew in with every 
breath the sense of spring. Who does not 
know the delightfulness of that first sitting 
out of doors after a long winter’s confine- 
ment? It seems like flinging the gauntlet 
down to the powers of cold. Hope and reno- 
vation are in the air. Life has conquered 
Death, and to the happy hearta in love with 
life there is joy in the victory. The two 
sisters talked busily as they sewed, but all 
the time an only half-conscious rapture in- 
formed their senses, — the sympathy of that 
which is immortal in human souls with the 
resurrection of natural things, which is the 
sure pledge of immortality. 

It was nearly a year since Katy had come 
back from that too brief journey to Europe 
with Mrs. Ashe and Amy, about which some 
of you have read, and many things of inter- 
est to the Carr family had happened during 


A TALK ON THE DOOESTEPS. 


9 


the interval. The ^^Natchitoches” had duly 
arrived in New York in October, and pres- 
ently afterward Burnet was convulsed by the 
appearance of a tall young fellow in naval 
uniform, and the announcement of Katyas en- 
gagement to Lieutenant Worthington. 

It was a piece of news which interested 
everybody in the little town, for Dr. Carr 
was a universal friend and favorite. For a 
time he had been the only physician in the 
place ; and though with the gradual growth 
of population two or three younger men had 
appeared to dispute the ground with him, 
they were forced for the most part to content 
themselves with doctoring the new arrivals, 
and with such fragments and leavings of 
practice as Dr. Carr chose to intrust to them. 
None of the old established families would 
consent to call in any one else if they could 
possibly get the ^^old” doctor. 

A skilful practitioner, who is at the same 
time a wise adviser, a helpful friend, and an 
agreeable man, must necessarily command a 
wide influence. Dr. Carr was ^^by all odds 


10 


CLOVER. 


and far away/’ as our English cousins would 
express it, the most popular person in Burnet, 
wanted for all pleasant occasions, and doubly 
wanted for all painful ones. 

So the news of Katy’s engagement was 
made a matter of personal concern by a great 
many people, and caused a general stir, part- 
ly because she was her father’s daughter, and 
partly because she was herself ; for Katy had 
won many friends by her own merit. So 
long as Ned Worthington stayed, a sort of 
tide of congratulation and sympathy seemed 
to sweep through the house all day long. 
Tea-roses and chrysanthemums, and baskets 
of pears and the beautiful Burnet grapes 
flooded the premises, and the door-bell rang 
so often that Clover threatened to leave the 
door open, with a card attached, — Walk 
straight in. He is in the parlor ! ” 

Everybody wanted to see and know Katy’s 
lover, and to have him as a guest. Ten tea- 
drinkings a week would scarcely have con- 
tented Katy’s well-wishers, had the limitations 
of mortal weeks permitted such a thing ; and 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 


11 


not a can of oysters would have been left in 
the place if Lieutenant Worthington’s leave 
had lasted three days longer. Clover and 
Elsie loudly complained that they themselves 
never had a chance to see him ; for whenever 
he was not driving or walking with Katy, or 
having long tete-a-tetes in the library, he was 
eating muffins somewhere, or making calls on 
old ladies whose feelings would be dreadfully 
hurt if he went away without their seeing 
him. 

Sisters seem to come oif worst of all,” 
protested Johnnie. But in spite of their lam- 
entations they all saw enough of their future 
brother-in-law to grow fond of him ; and not- 
withstanding some natural pangs of jealousy 
at having to share Katy with an outsider, it 
was a happy visit, and every one was sorry 
when the leave of absence ended, and Ned 
had to go away. 

A month later the Natchitoches ” sailed 
for the Bahamas. It was to be a six months’ 
cruise only ; and on her return she was for 
a while to make part of the home squadron. 


12 


CLOVER. 


This furnished a good opportunity for her 
first lieutenant to marry ; so it was agreed 
that the wedding should take place in June, 
and Katy set about her preparations in the 
leisurely and simple fashion which was char- 
acteristic of her. She had no ambition for a 
great trousseau, and desired to save her father 
expense ; so her outfit, as compared with that 
of most modern brides, was a very moderate 
one, but being planned and mostly made at 
home, it necessarily involved thought, time, 
and a good deal of personal exertion. 

Dear little Clover flung herself into the 
affair with even more interest than if it had 
been her own. Many happy mornings that 
winter did the sisters spend together over 
their dainty stitches and white seam.” Elsie 
and Johnnie' were good needle-women now, 
and could help in many ways. Mrs. Ashe 
often joined them; even Amy could con- 
tribute aid in the plainer sewing, and thread 
everybody’s needles. But the most daring 
and indefatigable of all was Clover, who never 
swerved in her determination that Katy’s 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 


13 


things ” should be as nice and as pretty as 
love and industry combined could make them. 
Her ideas as to decoration soared far beyond 
Katy’s. She hem-stitched, she cat-stitched, she 
feather-stitched, she lace-stitched, she tucked 
and frilled and embroidered, and generally 
worked her fingers off ; while the bride vainly 
protested that all this finery was quite un- 
necessary, and that simple hems and a little 
Hamburg edging would answer just as well. 
Clover merely repeated the words, Hamburg 
edging ! ” with an accent of scorn, and went 
straight on in her elected way. 

As each article received its last touch, and 
came from the laundry white and immaculate, 
it was folded to perfection, tied with a narrow 
blue or pale rose-colored ribbon, and laid aside 
in a sacred receptacle known as “The Wedding 
Bureau.” The handkerchiefs, grouped in doz- 
ens, were strewn with dried violets and rose- 
leaves to make them sweet. Lavender-bags 
and sachets of orris lay among the linen; and 
perfumes as of Araby were discernible when- 
ever a drawer in the bureau was pulled out. 


14 


CLOVER. 


So the winter passed, and now spring was 
come ; and the two girls on the doorsteps 
were talking about the wedding, which seemed 
very near now. 

Tell me just what sort of an affair you 
want it to be,” said Clover. 

It seems more your wedding than mine, 
you have worked so hard for it,” replied Katy. 

You might give your ideas first.” 

My ideas are not very distinct. It ’s only 
lately that I have begun to think about it at 
all, there has been so much to do. I ’d like 
to have you have a beautiful dress and a 
great many wedding-presents and everything 
as pretty as can be, but not so many brides- 
maids as Cecy, because there is always such 
a fuss in getting them nicely up the aisle in 
church and out again, — that is as far as I ’ve 
got. But so long as you are pleased, and it 
goes off well, I don’t care exactly how it is 
managed.” 

Then, since you are in such an accommo- 
dating frame of mind, it seems a good time to 
break my views to you. Don’t be shocked, 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 


15 


Clovy ; but, do you know, I don’t want to be 
married in church at all, or to have any 
bridesmaids, or anything arranged for before- 
hand particularly. I should like things to 
be simple, and to just happeny 

But, Katy, you can’t do it like that. 
It will all get into a snarl if there is no 
planning beforehand or rehearsals ; it would 
be confused and horrid.” 

I don’t see why it would be confused if 
there were nothing to confuse. Please not 
be vexed ; but I always have hated the ordi- 
nary kind of wedding, with its fuss and worry 
and so much of everything, and just like all 
the other weddings, and the bride looking 
tired to death, and nobody enjoying it a bit. 
I ’d like mine to be different, and more — more 
— real. 1 don’t want any show or processing 
about, but just to have things nice and pretty, 
and all the people I love and who love me to 
come to it, and nothing cut and dried, and 
nobody tired, and to make it a sort of dear, 
loving occasion, with leisure to realize how 
dear it is and what it all means. Don’t 


16 


CLOVEK. 


you think it would really be nicer in that 
way ? ” 

Well, yes, as you put it, and ^viewed from 
the higher standard,^ as Miss Inches would 
say, perhaps it would. Still, bridesmaids and 
all that are very pretty to look at ; and folks 
will be surprised if you don’t have them.” 

Never mind folks,” remarked the irreve- 
rent Katy. I don’t care a button for that 
argument. Yes; bridesmaids and going up 
the aisle in a long procession and all the rest 
are pretty to look at, — or were before they got 
to be so hackneyed. I can imagine the first 
bridal procession up the aisle of some early 
cathedral as having been perfectly beautiful. 
But nowadays, when the butcher and baker 
and candlestick-maker and everybody else do 
it just alike, the custom seems to me to have 
lost its charm. I never did enjoy having 
things exactly as every one else has them, — 
all going in the same direction like a flock 
of sheep. I would like my little wedding 
to be something especially my own. There 
was a poetical meaning in those old customs ; 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 


17 


but now that the custom has swallowed up so 
much of the meaning, it would please me better 
to retain the meaning and drop the custom.” 

I see what you mean,” said Clover, not 
quite convinced, but inclined as usual to ad- 
mire Katy and think that whatever she meant 
must be right. But tell me a little more. 
You mean to have a wedding-dress, don't 
you?” doubtfully. 

Yes, indeed!” 

Have you thought what it shall be ? ” 
^^Do you recollect that beautiful white 
crape shawl of mamma's which papa gave me 
two years ago ? It has a lovely wreath of 
embroidery round it ; and it came to me the 
other day that it would make a charming 
gown, with white surah or something for the 
under-dress. I should like that better than 
anything new, because mamma used to wear 
it, and it would seem as if she were here still, 
helping me to get ready. Don't you think 
so?” 

It is a lovely idea,” said Clover, the ever- 
ready tears dimming her happy blue eyes 


18 


CLOVER. 


for a moment, ^^and just like you. Yes, that 
shall be the dress, — dear mamma’s shawl. 
It will please papa too, I think, to have you 
choose it.” 

I thought perhaps it would,” said Katy, 
soberly. Then I have a wide white watered 
sash which Aunt Izzy gave me, and I mean to 
have that worked into the dress somehow. I 
should like to wear something of hers too, for 
she was really good to us when we were little, 
and all that long time that I was ill ; and we 
were not always good to her, I am afraid. 
Poor Aunt Izzy ! What troublesome little 
wretches we were, — I most of all!” 

Were you ? Somehow I never can recol- 
lect the time when you were not a born angel. 
I am afraid I don’t remember Aunt Izzy well. 
I just have a vague memory of somebody 
who was pretty strict and cross.” 

“ Ah, you never had a back, and needed to 
be waited on night and day, or you would 
recollect a great deal more than that. Cousin 
Helen helped me to appreciate what Aunt 
Izzy really was. By the way, one of the two 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 


19 


things I have set my heart on is to have 
Cousin Helen come to my wedding.” 

It would be lovely if she could. Do you 
suppose there is any chance ? ” 

I wrote her week before last, but she 
has n’t answered yet. Of course it depends 
on how she is; but the accounts from her 
have been pretty good this year.” 

What is the other thing you have set 
your heart on ? You said ^ two.’ ” 

The other is that Eose Eed shall be here, 
and little Rose. I wrote to her the other 
day also, and coaxed hard. Would n’t it be 
too enchanting? You know how we have 
always longed to have her in Burnet ; and if 
she could come now it would make every- 
thing twice as pleasant.” 

Katy, what an enchanting thought ! ” 
cried Clover, who had not seen Rose since 
they all left Hillsover. It would be the 
greatest lark that ever was to have the Roses. 
When do you suppose we shall hear ? I can 
hardly wait, I am in such a hurry to have her 
say ^ Yes.’” 


20 


CLOVER. 


But suppose she says ^ No ’ ? ” 

I won’t think of such a possibility. Now 
go on. I suppose your principles don’t pre- 
clude a wedding-cake ? ” 

On the contrary, they include a great 
deal of wedding-cake. I want to send a box to 
everybody in Burnet, — all the poor people, 
I mean, and the old people and the children 
at the Home and those forlorn creatures at 
the poor-house and all papa’s patients.” 

But, Katy, that will cost a lot,” objected 
the thrifty Clover. 

I know it; so we must do it in the cheap- 
est way, and make the cake ourselves. I 
have Aunt Izzy’s recipe, which is a very good 
one ; and if we all take hold, it won’t be 
such an immense piece of work. Debby has 
quantities of raisins stoned already. She 
has been doing them in the evenings a few 
at a time for the last month. Mrs. Ashe 
knows a factory where you can get the 
little white boxes for ten dollars a thousand, 
and I have commissioned her to send for 
five hundred.” 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 21 

Five hundred ! What an immense 
quantity ! ” 

Yes ; but there are all the Hillsover girls 
to be remembered, and all our kith and kin, 
and everybody at the wedding will want one. 
I don’t think it will be too many. Oh, I 
have arranged it all in my mind. Johnnie 
will slice the citron, Elsie will wash the cur- 
rants, Debby measure and bake, Alexander 
mix, you and I will attend to the icing, and 
all of us will cut it up.’’ 

Alexander ! ” 

“ Alexander. He is quite pleased with the 
idea, and has constructed an implement — a 
sort of spade, cut out of new pine wood — for 
the purpose. He says it will be a sight easier 
than digging flower-beds. We will set about 
it next week ; for the cake improves by keep- 
ing, and as it is the heaviest job we have to 
do, it will be well to get it out of the way 
early.” 

Sha’n’t you have a floral bell, or a bower 
to stand in, or something of that kind ? ” ven- 
tured Clover, timidly. 


22 


CLOVER. 


Indeed I shall not,” replied Katj. I 
particularly dislike floral bells and bowers. 
They are next worst to anchors and harps 
and ^ floral pillows ' and all the rest of the 
dreadful things that they have at funerals. 
No, we will have plenty of fresh flowers, but 
not in stiff arrangements. I want it all to 
seem easy and to he easy. Don’t look so 
disgusted, Clovy.” 

Oh, I ’m not disgusted. It ’s your wed- 
ding. I want you to have everything in your 
own way.” 

It ’s everybody’s wedding, I think,” said 
Katy, tenderly. Everybody is so kind about 
it. Did you see the thing that Polly sent this 
morning ? ” 

No. It must have come after I w^ent out. 
What was it ? ” 

Seven yards of beautiful nun’s lace which 
she bought in Florence. She says it is to 
trim a morning dress ; but it ’s really too 
pretty. How dear Polly is! She sends me 
something almost every day. I seem to be in 
her thoughts all the time. It is because she 


A TALK OK THE DOOKSTEPS. 


23 


loves Ned so much, of course ; but it is just as 
kind of her.’’ 

I think she loves you almost as much as 
Ned,” said Clover. 

Oh, she could n’t do that ; Ned is her only 
brother. There is Amy at the gate now.” 

It was a much taller Amy than had come 
home from Italy the year before who was 
walking toward them under the budding 
locust-boughs. Koman fever had seemed to 
quicken and stimulate all Amy’s powers, and 
she had grown very fast during the past year. 
Her face was as frank and childlike as ever, 
and her eyes as blue; but she was prettier 
than when she went to Europe, for her cheeks 
were pink, and the mane of waving hair 
which framed them in was very becoming. 
The hair was just long enough now to touch 
her shoulders ; it was turning brown as it 
lengthened, but the ends of the locks still 
shone with childish gold, and caught the sun 
in little shining rings as it filtered down 
through the tree branches. 

She kissed Clover several times, and gave 


24 


CLOVEK. 


Katy a long, close hug ; then she produced a 
parcel daintily hid in silver paper. 

“ Tanta,” she said, — this was a pet name 
lately invented for Katy, — here is some- 
thing for you from mamma. It ’s something 
quite particular, I think, for mamma cried 
when she was writing the note ; not a hard 
cry, you know, but just two little teeny-weenj^ 
tears in her eyes. She kept smiling, though, 
and she looked happy, so I guess it is n’t any- 
thing very bad. She said I was to give it to 
you with her best, test love.’' 

Katy opened the parcel, and beheld a square 
veil of beautiful old blonde. The note said : 

This was my wedding-veil, dearest Katy, and 
my mother wore it before me. It has been laid 
aside all these years with the idea that perhaps 
Amy might want it some day ; but instead I send 
it to you, without whom there would be no Amy to 
wear this or anything else. I think it would please 
Ned to see it on your head, and I know it would 
make me very happy; but if you don’t feel like 
using it, don’t mind for a moment saying so to 
Your loving 


Polly. 



“Katy opened the parcel, and beheld a square veil of beautiful old 
blonde.” — Page 24. 



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A TALK ON THE DOOKSTEPS. 


25 


Katy handed the note silently to Clover, 
and laid her face for a little while among the 
soft folds of the lace, about which a faint odor 
of roses hung like the breath of old-time and 
unforgotten loves and affections. 

Shall you ? queried Clover, softly. 

Wliy, of course ! Does n’t it seem too 
sweet ? Both our mothers ! ” 

There ! ” cried Amy, you are going to 
cry too, Tanta ! I thought weddings were 
nice funny things. I never supposed they 
made people feel badly. I sha’n’t ever let 
Mabel get married, I think. But she ’ll have 
to stay a little girl always in that case, for I 
certainly won’t have her an old maid.” 

What do you know about old maids, 
midget ? ” asked Clover. 

« Why, Miss Clover, I have seen lots of 
them. There was that one at the Pension 
Suisse ; you remember, Tanta ? And the two 
on the steamer when we came home. And 
there ’s Miss Fitz who made my blue frock ; 
Ellen said she was a regular old maid. I 
never mean to let Mabel be like that.” 


26 


CLOYEE. 


I don’t think there ’s the least danger/’ 
remarked Katj, glancing at the inseparable 
Mabel, who was perched on Amy’s arm, and 
who did not look a day older than she had 
done eighteen months previously. ^^Amy, 
we ’re going to make wedding-cake next 
week, — heaps and heaps of wedding-cake. 
Don’t you want to come and help ? ” 

“ Why, of course I do. What fun ! Which 
day may I come ? ” 

The cake-making did really turn out fun. 
Many hands made light work of what would 
have been a formidable job for one or two. 
It was all done gradually. Johnnie cut the 
golden citron quarters into thin transparent 
slices in the sitting-room one morning while 
the others were sewing, and reading Tenny- 
son aloud. Elsie and Amy made a regular 
frolic of the currant-washing. Katy, with 
Debby’s assistance, weighed and measured; 
and the mixture was enthusiastically stirred 
by Alexander, with the “ spade ” which he 
had invented, in a large new wash-tub. Then 
came the baking, which for two days filled 


A TALK ON THE DOORSTEPS. 27 

the house with spicy, plum-puddingy odors; 
then the great feat of icing the big square 
loaves ; and then the cutting up, in which all 
took part. There was much careful measure- 
ment that the slices might be an exact fit; 
and the kitchen rang with bright laughter 
and chat as Katy and Clover wielded the 
sharp bread-knives, and the others fitted the 
portions into their boxes, and tied the ribbons 
in crisp little bows. Many delicious crumbs 
and odd corners and fragments fell to the 
share of the younger workers ; and altogether 
the occasion struck Amy as so enjoyable that 
she announced — -with her mouth full — that 
she had changed her mind, and that Mabel 
might get married as often as she pleased, if 
she would have cake like that every time, — a 
liberality of permission which Mabel listened 
to with her invariable waxen smile. 

When all was over, and the last ribbons 
tied, the hundreds of little boxes were stacked 
in careful piles on a shelf of the inner closet 
of the doctor’s office to wait till they were 
wanted, — an arrangement which naughty 


28 


CLOVEK. 


Clover pronounced eminently suitable, since 
there should always be a doctor close at hand 
where there was so much wedding-cake. But 
before all this was accomplished, came what 
Katy, in imitation of one of Miss Edgeworth’s 
heroines, called The Day of Happy Letters.” 


CHAPTER 11. 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 

arrival of the morning boat with 
tters and newspapers from the 
ist was the great event of the day 
in Burnet. It was due at eleven o’clock ; and 
everybody, consciously or unconsciously, was 
on the lookout for it. The gentlemen were 
at the office bright and early, and stood chat- 
ting with each other, and fingering the keys 
of their little drawers till the rattle of the 
shutter announced that the mail was distrib- 
uted. Their wives and daughters at home, 
meanwhile, were equally in a state of expec- 
tation, and whatever they might be doing 
kept ears and eyes on the alert for the step 
on the gravel and the click of the latch which 
betokened the arrival of the family news- 
bringer. 



30 


CLOVER. 


Doctors cannot command their time like 
other people, and Dr. Carr was often detained 
by his patients, and made late for the mail, 
so it was all the pleasanter a surprise when 
on the great day of the cake-baking he came 
in earlier than usual, with his hands quite full 
of letters and parcels. All the girls made a 
rush for him at once ; but he fended them off 
with an elbow, while with teasing slowness 
he read the addresses on the envelopes. 

Miss Carr — Miss Carr — Miss Katherine 
Carr — Miss Carr again ; four for you, Katy. 
Dr. P. Carr, — a bill and a newspaper, I per- 
ceive ; all that an old country doctor with a 
daughter about to be married ought to expect, 
I suppose. Miss Clover E. Carr, — one for the 
‘ Confidante in white linen.’ Here, take it, 
Clovy. Miss Carr again. Katy, you have 
the lion’s share. Miss Joanna Carr, — in 
the unmistakable handwriting of Miss Inches. 
Miss Katherine Carr, care Dr. Carr. That 
looks like a wedding present, Katy. Miss 
Elsie Carr ; Cecy’s hand, I should say. Miss 
Carr once more, — from the conquering hero. 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 


31 


judging from the post-mark. Dr. Carr, — an- 
other newspaper, and — hollo ! — one more 
for Miss Carr. W ell, children, I hope for once 
you are satisfied with the amount of your cor- 
respondence. My arm fairly aches with the 
weight of it. - I hope the letters are not so 
heavy inside as out.’’ 

am quite satisfied. Papa, thank you,” 
said Katy, looking up with a happy smile 
from Ned’s letter, which she had torn open 
first of all. ^^Are you going, dear?” She 
laid her packages down to help him on with 
his coat. Katy never forgot her father. 

Yes, I am going. Time and rheumatism 
wait for no man. You can tell me your news 
when I come back.” 

It is not fair to peep into love letters, so I 
will only say of Ned’s that it was very long, 
very entertaining, — Katy thought, — and 
contained the pleasant information that the 
Natchitoches ” was to sail four days after it 
was posted, and would reach New York a week 
sooner than any one had dared to hope. The 
letter contained several other things as well. 


32 


CLOVER. 


which showed Katy how continually she had 
been in his thoughts, — a painting on rice 
paper, a dried flower or two, a couple of little 
pen-and-ink sketches of the harbor of Santa 
Lucia and the shipping, and a small cravat 
of an odd convent lace folded very flat and 
smooth. Altogether it was a delightful letter, 
and Katy read it, as it were, in leaps, her 
eyes catching at the salient points, and leav- 
ing the details to be dwelt upon when she 
should be alone. 

This done, she thrust the letter into her 
pocket, and proceeded to examine the others. 
The first was in Cousin Helen’s clear, beauti- 
ful handwriting : — 

Dear Katy, — If any one had told us ten years 
ago that in this particular year of grace you would 
be getting ready to be married, and I preparing to 
come to your wedding, I think we should have lis- 
tened with some incredulity, as to an agreeable 
fairy tale which could not possibly come true. We 
didn’t look much like it, did we, — you in your 
big chair and I on my sofa ? Yet here we are ! 
When your letter first reached me it seemed a sort 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 33 

of impossible thing that I should accept your invi- 
tation ; but the more I thought about it the more 
I felt as if I must, and now things seem to be 
working round to that end quite marvellously. I 
have had a good winter, but the doctor wishes 
me to try the experiment of the water cure again 
which benefited me so much the summer of your 
accident. This brings me in your direction ; and 
I don’t see why I might not come a little earlier 
than I otherwise should, and have the great pleas- 
ur.e of seeing you married, and making acquaint- 
ance with Lieutenant Worthington. That is, if 
you are perfectly sure that to have at so busy a 
time a guest who, like the Queen of Spain, has 
the disadvantage of being without legs, will not be- 
more care than enjoyment. Think seriously over 
this point, and don’t send for me unless you are 
certain. Meanwhile, I am making ready. Alex 
and Emma and little Helen — who is a pretty big 
Helen now — are to be my escorts as far as Buffalo 
on their way to Niagara. After that is all plain 
sailing, and Jane Carter and I can manage very 
well for ourselves. It seems like a dream to think 
that I may see you all so soon ; but it is such a 
pleasant one that I would not wake up on any 
account. 


3 


34 


CLOVER. 


I have a little gift which I shall bring you my- 
self, my Katy ; but I have a fancy also that you 
shall wear some trifling thing on your wedding-day 
which comes from me, so for fear of being fore- 
stalled I will say now, please don’t buy any stock- 
ings for the occasion, but wear the pair which go 
with this, for the sake of your loving 

Cousin Helen. 

These must be they/’ cried Elsie, pounc- 
ing on one of the little packages. ‘^May I 
cut the string, Katy ? ” 

Permission was granted ; and Elsie cut the 
string. It was indeed a pair of beautiful 
white silk stockings embroidered in an open 
pattern, and far finer than anything which 
Katy would have thought of choosing for 
herself. 

Don’t they look exactly like Cousin 
Helen ? ” she said, fondling them. Her 
things always are choicer and prettier than 
anybody’s else, somehow. I can’t think how 
she does it, when she never by any chance 
goes into a shop. Who can this be from, I 
wonder ? ” 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 35 

This ” was the second little package. It 
proved to contain a small volume bound in 
white and gold, entitled, Advice to Brides.” 
On the fly-leaf appeared this inscription : — 

To Katherine Carr, on the occasion of her ap- 
proaching bridal, from her affectionate teacher, 

Marianne Nipson. 

1 Timothy, ii. 11. 

Clover at once ran to fetch her Testament 
that she might verify the quotation, and an- 
nounced with a shriek of laughter that it was : 

Let the women learn in silence with all sub- 
jection ; ” while Katy, much diverted, read 
extracts casually selected from the work, such 
as : A wife should receive her husband’s 

decree without cavil or question, remem- 
bering that the husband is the head of the 
wife, and that in all matters of dispute his 
opinion naturally and scripturally outweighs 
her own.” 

Or : ^ A soft answer turneth away wrath.’ 

If your husband comes home fretted and im- 
patient, do not answer him sharply, but soothe 


36 


CLOVER. 


him with gentle words and caresses. Strict at- 
tention to the minor details of domestic man- 
agement will often avail to secure peace.” 

And again : Keep in mind’ the epitaph 
raised in honor of an exemplary wife of the 
last century, — ^ She never banged the door.’ 
Qualify yourself for a similar testimonial.” 

Tanta never does bang doors,” remarked 
Amy, who had come in as this last ‘^elegant 
extract ” was being read. 

No, that ’s true ; she does n’t,” said Clover. 
“ Her prevailing vice is to leave them open. 
I like that truth about a good dinner ‘ avail- 
ing’ to secure peace, and the advice to ‘ca- 
ress ’ your bear when he is at his crossest. 
Ned never does issue ‘ decrees,’ though, I 
fancy; and on the whole, Katy, I don’t be- 
lieve Mrs. Nipson’s present is going to be 
any particular comfort in your future trials. 
Do read something else to take the taste 
out of our mouths. We will listen in ‘ all 
subjection.’ ” 

Katy was already deep in a long epistle 
from Rose. 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 


37 


This is too delicious,” she said ; do 
listen.” And she began again at the begin- 
ning : — 

My Sweetest op all old Sweets, — Come to 
your wedding ! Of course I shall. It would never 
seem to me to have any legal sanction whatever if 
I were not there to add my blessing. Only let me 
know which day “ early in June ” it is to be, that I 
may make ready. Deniston will fetch us on, and 
by a special piece of good luck, a man in Chicago — 
whose name I shall always bless if only I can re- 
member what it is — has been instigated by our 
mutual good angel to want him on business just 
about that time ; so that he would have to go West 
anyway, and would rather have me along than 
not, and is perfectly resigned to his fate. I mean 
to come three days before, and stay three days after 
the wedding, if I may, and altogether it is going 
to be a lark of larks. Little Rose can talk quite 
fluently now, and almost read ; that is, she knows 
six letters of her picture alphabet. She com- 
poses poems also. The other day she suddenly 
announced, — 

“ Mamma, I have made up a sort of a im. May 
I say it to you 

I naturally consented, and this was the 


38 


CLOVER. 


IM. 

Jump in the parlor, 

Jump in the hall, 

God made us all! 

Now did you ever hear of anything quite so dear 
as that, for a baby only three years and five months 
old? I tell you she is a wonder. You will all 
adore her, Clover particularly. Oh, my dear little 
C. ! To think I am going to see her ! 

I met both Ellen Gray and Esther Dearborn the 
other day, and where do you think it was ? At 
Mary Silver’s wedding ! Yes, she is actually mar- 
ried to the Rev. Charles Playfair Strothers, and set- 
tled in a little parsonage somewhere in the Hoosac 
Tunnel, — or near it, — and already immersed in 
“ duties.” I can’t think what arguments he used 
to screw her up to the rash act ; but there she is. 

It was n’t exactly what one would call a cheerful 
wedding. All the connection took it very seriously ; 
and Mary’s uncle, who married her, preached quite 
a lengthy funeral discourse to the young couple, 
and got them nicely ready for death, burial, and 
the next world, before he would consent to unite 
them for this. He was a solemn-looking old person, 
who had been a missionary, and “ had laid away , 
three dear wives in foreign lands,” as he confided I 
to me afterward over a plate of ice-cream. He 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTEKS. 


39 


seemed to me to be “ taking notice,” as they say of 
babies, and it is barely possible that he mistook 
me for a single woman, for his attentions were 
rather pronounced till I introduced my husband 
prominently into conversation ; after that he 
seemed more attracted by Ellen Gray. 

Mary cried straight through the ceremony. In 
fact, I imagine she cried straight through the en- 
gagement, for her eyes looked wept out and had 
scarlet rims, and she was as white as her veil. In 
fact, whiter, for that was made of beautiful point 
de Venise, and was just a trifle yellowish. Every- 
body cried. Her mother and sister sobbed aloud, 
so did several maiden aunts and a grandmother or 
two and a few cousins. The church resounded 
with guggles and gasps, like a great deal of bath- 
water running out of an ill-constructed tub. Mr. 
Silver also wept, as a business man may, in a series 
of sniffs interspersed with silk handkerchief ; you 
know the kind. Altogether it was a most cheerless 
affair. I seemed to be the only person present who 
was not in tears ; but I really did n’t see anything 
to cry about, so far as I was concerned, though I 
felt very hard-hearted. 

I had to go alone, for Deniston was in New York. 
I got to the church rather early, and my new spring- 
bonnet — which is a superior one — seemed to im- 


40 


CLOVEK. 


press the ushers, so they put me in a very distin- 
guished front pew all by myself. I bore my honors 
meekly, and found them quite agreeable, in fact, — 
you know I always did like to be made much of, — 
so you can imagine my disgust when presently 
three of the stoutest ladies you ever saw came sail- 
ing up the aisle, and prepared to invade my pew. 

“ Please move up, Madam,” said the fattest of 
all, who wore a wonderful yellow hat. 

But I was not “ raised ” at Hillsover for nothing, 
and remembering the success of our little ruse on 
the railroad train long ago, I stepped out into the 
aisle, and with my sweetest smile made room for 
them to pass. 

“ Perhaps I would better keep the seat next the 
door,” I murmured to the yellow lady, “in case 
an attack should come on.” 

“ An attack ! ” she repeated in an accent of alarm. 
She whispered to the others. All three eyed me 
suspiciously, while I stood looking as pensive and 
suffering as I could. Then after confabulating to- 
gether for a little, they all swept into the seat behind 
mine, and I heard them speculating in low tones as 
to whether it was epilepsy or catalepsy or convul- 
sions that I was subject to. I presume they made 
signs to all the other people who came in to steer 
clear of the lady with fits, for nobody invaded my 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 


41 


privacy, and I sat in lonely splendor with a pew 
to myself, and was very comfortable indeed. 

Mary’s dress was white satin, with a great deal of 
point lace and pearl passementerie, and she wore 
a pair of diamond ear-rings which her father gave 
her, and a bouquet almost but not quite as large, 
which was the gift of the bridegroom. He has a 
nice face, and I think Silvery Mary will be happy 
with him, much happier than with her rather dis- 
mal family, though his salary is only fifteen hun- 
dred a year, and pearl passementerie, I believe, quite 
unknown and useless in the Hoosac region. She 
had loads of the most beautiful presents you ever 
saw. All the Silvers are rolling in riches, you know. 
One little thing made me laugh, for it was so like 
her. When the clergyman said, “ Mary, wilt thou 
take this man to be thy wedded husband ?” I distinct- 
ly saw her put her fingers over her mouth in the 
old, frightened way. It was only for a second, and 
after that I rather think Mr. Strothers held her 
hand tight for fear she might do it again. She sent 
he love to you, Katy. What sort of a gown are you 
going to have, by the way ? 

I have kept my best news to the last, which is 
that Deniston has at last given way, and we are to 
move into town in October. We have taken a little 
house in West Cedar Street. It is quite small and 


42 


CLOYER. 


very dingy and I presume inconvenient, but I already 
love it to distraction, and feel as if I should sit up 
all night for the first month to enjoy the sensation 
of being no longer that horrid thing, a resident of 
the suburbs. I hunt the paper shops and collect 
samples of odd and occult pattern, and compare 
them with carpets, and am altogether in my ele- 
ment, only longing for the time to come when I 
may put together my pots and pans and betake 
me across the mill-dam. Meantime, Roslein is 
living in a state of quarantine. She is not per- 
mitted to speak with any other children, or even 
to look out of window at one, for fear she may 
contract some sort of contagious disease, and spoil 
our beautiful visit to Burnet. She sends you a 
kiss, and so do I ; and mother and Sylvia and 
Deniston and grandmamma, particularly, desire 
their love. Your loving 

Rose Red. 

Oh,’’ cried Clover, catching Katy round 
the waist, and waltzing wildly about the room, 
what a delicious letter ! What fun we are 
going to have ! It seems too good to be true. 
Tum-ti-ti, tum-ti-ti. Keep step, Katy. I for- 
give you for the first time for getting married. 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 43 

I never did before, really and truly. Tum-ti- 
ti ; I am so happy that I must dance ! ” 

“ There go my letters/’ said Katy, as with 
the last rapid twirl, Rose’s many-sheeted epis- 
tle and the Advice to Brides ” flew to right 
and left. There go two of your hair-pins. Clo- 
ver. Oh, do stop ; we shall all be in pieces.” 

Clover brought her gyrations to a close by 
landing her unwilling partner suddenly on the 
sofa. Then with a last squeeze and a rapid 
kiss she began to pick up the scattered 
letters. 

Now read the rest,” she commanded, 
though anything else will sound flat after 
Rose’s.” 

^^Hear this first,” said Elsie, who had taken 
advantage of the pause to open her own letter. 

It is from Cecy, and she says she is coming 
to spend a month with her mother on purpose 
to be here for Katy’s wedding. She sends 
heaps of love to you, Katy, and says she only 
hopes that Mr. Worthington will prove as 
perfectly satisfactory in all respects as her own 
dear Sylvester.” 


44 


CLOVER. 


gracious, I should hope he would/’ 
put in Clover, who was still in the wildest 
spirits. “ What a dear old goose Cecy is ! I 
never hankered in the least for Sylvester 
Slack, did you, Katy ? '' 

Certainly not. It would be a most im- 
proper proceeding if I had,’’ replied Katy, with 
a laugh. Whom do you think this letter is 
from, girls ? Do listen to it. It ’s written by 
that nice old Mr. Allen Beach, whom we met 
in London. Don’t you recollect my telling 
you about him?” 

My dear Miss Carr, — Our friends in Harley 
Street have told me a piece of news concerning you 
which came to them lately in a letter from Mrs. 
Ashe, and I hope you will permit me to offer you 
my most sincere congratulations and good wishes. 
I recollect meeting Lieutenant Worthington when he 
was here two years ago, and liking him very much. 
One is always glad in a foreign land to be able to 
show so good a specimen of one’s young country- 
men as he affords, — not that England need be 
counted as a foreign country by any American, and 
least of all by myself, who have found it a true home 
for so many years. r 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 


45 


As a little souvenir of our week of sight- 
seeing together, of which I retain most agreeable 
remembrances, I have sent you by my friends the 
Sawyers, who sail for America shortly, a copy of 
Hare’s ‘‘Walks in London,” which 2i.YO\mgprotSgSe 
of mine has for the past year been illustrating with 
photographs of the many curious old buildings de- 
scribed. You took so much interest in them while 
here that I hope you may like to see them again. 
Will you please accept with it my most cordial 
wishes for your future, and believe me 
Very faithfully your friend, 

Allen Beach. 

What a nice letter ! ” said Clover. 

“ Is n’t it ? ” replied Katy, with shining eyes, 
“ what a thing it is to be a gentleman, and to 
know how to say and do things in the right 
way ! I am so surprised and pleased that Mr. 
Beach should remember me. I never sup- 
posed he would, he sees so many people in 
London all the time, and it is quite a long 
time since we were there, nearly two years. 
Was your letter from Miss Inches, John ? ” 
“Yes, and Mamma Marian sends you her 
love ; and there ’s a present coming by 


46 


CLOVER. 


express for you, — some sort of a book with 
a hard name. I can scarcely make it out, 
the Ru — ru — something of Omar Kay — y — 
Well, anyway it’s a book, and she hopes you 
will read Emerson’s ^ Essay on Friendship ’ 
over before you are married, because it ’s a 
helpful utterance, and adjusts the mind to 
mutual conditions.” 

(( 'W^orse than 1 Timothy, ii. 11,” mut- 
tered Clover. Well, Katy dear, what next? 
What are you laughing at?” 

You will never guess, I am sure. This is 
a letter from Miss Jane ! And she has made 
me this pincushion ! ” 

The pincushion was of a familiar type, two 
circles of pasteboard covered with gray silk, 
neatly over-handed together, and stuck with 
a row of closely fitting pins. Miss Jane’s note 
ran as follows : — 

Hillsover, April 21. 

Dear Katy, — I hear from Mrs. Nipson that you 
are to be married shortly, and I want to say that 
you have my best wishes for your future. I think a 
man ought to be happy who has you for a wife. I 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTEES. 47 

only hope the one you have chosen is worthy of you. 
Probably he is n’t, but perhaps you won’t find it out. 
Life is a knotty problem for most of us. May you 
solve it satisfactorily to yourself and others ! I have 
nothing to send but my good wishes and a few pins. 
They are not an unlucky present, I believe, as scis- 
sors are said to be. 

Remember me to your sister, and believe me to 
be with true regard, 

Yours, ’ Jane A. Bangs. 

• 

Dear me, is that her name ? ” cried Clover. 
I always supposed she was baptized ‘ Miss 
Jane.’ It never occurred to me that she had 
any other title. What appropriate initials ! 
How she used to J. A. B. with us ! ” 

Now, Clovy, that ’s not kind. It ’s a very 
nice note indeed, and I am touched by it. It ’s 
a beautiful compliment to say that the man 
ought to be happy who has got me, I think. 
I never supposed that Miss Jane could pay a 
compliment.” 

Or make a joke ! That touch about the 
scissors is really jocose, — for Miss Jane. 
Rose Red will shriek over the letter and that 


48 


CLOVER. 


particularly rigid pincushion. They are both 
of them so exactly like her. Dear me ! only 
one letter left. Who is that from, Katy? 
How fast one does eat up one^s pleasures ! ” 

But you had a letter yourself. Surely papa 
said so. What was that? You haven't read 
it to us." 

No, for it contains a secret which you are 
not to hear just yet," replied Clover. “ Brides 
mustn’t ask questions. Go on with yours." 

Mine is from Louisa Agnew, — quite a 
long one, too. It’s an age since we heard 
from her, you know." 

Ashburn, April 24. 

Bear Katy, — Your delightful letter and invita- 
tion came day before yesterday, and thank you fqr 
both. There is nothing in the world that would 
please me better than to come to your wedding if it 
were possible, but it simply is n’t. If you lived in 
New Haven now, or even Boston, — but Burnet is 
so dreadfully far ofP, it seems as inaccessible as 
Kamchatka to a person who, like myself, has a 
house to keep and two babies to take care of. 

Don’t look so alarmed. The house is the same 
house you saw when you were here, and so is one 


THE DAY OF HAPPY LETTERS. 


49 


of the babies ; the other is a new acquisition just 
two years old, and as great a darling as Daisy was 
at the same age. My mother has been really better 
in health since he came, but just now she is at a sort 
of Rest Cure in Kentucky ; and I have my hands 
full with papa and the children, as you can imagine, 
so I can’t go off two days’ journey to a wedding, — 
not even to yours, my dearest old Katy. I shall 
think about you all day long on the day, when I 
know which it is, and try to imagine just how 
everything looks; and yet I don’t find that quite 
easy, for somehow I fancy that your wedding will 
be a little different from the common run. You 
always were different from other people to me, 
you know, — you and Clover, — and I love you 
so much, and I always shall. 

Papa has taken a kit-kat portrait of me in oils, 
— and a blue dress, — which he thinks is like, and 
which I am going to send you as soon as it comes 
home from the framers. I hope you will like it 
a little for my sake. Dear Katy, I send so much 
love with it. 

I have only seen the Pages in the street since 
they came home from Europe ; but the last piece 
of news here is Lilly’s engagement to Comte Ernest 
de Conflans. He has something to do with the 
French legation in Washington, I believe ; and 

4 


50 


CLOVER. 


they crossed in the same steamer. I saw him 
driving with her the other day, — a little man, not 
handsome, and very dark. I do not know when 
they are to be married. Your Cousin Clarence is 
in Colorado. 

With two kisses apiece and a great hug for you, 
Katy, I am always 

Your affectionate friend, 

Louisa. 

Dear me ! ” said the insatiable Clover, “ is 
that the very last? I wish we had another 
mail, and twelve more letters coming in at 
once. What a blessed institution the post- 
office is!” 


CHAPTER III. 


THE FIEST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 

great job of the cake-making 
sr, a sense of leisure settled on 
3 house. There seemed nothing 
left to be done which need put any one out 
of his or her way particularly. Katy had 
among her other qualities a great deal of 
what is called forehandedness.’’ To leave 
things to be attended to at the last moment 
in a flurry and a hurry would have been in- 
tolerable to h^r. She firmly believed in the 
doctrine of a certain wise man of our own 
day who says that to push your work before 
you is easy enough, but to pull it after you is 
very hard indeed. 

All that winter, without saying much about 
it, — for Katy did not do her thinking 
outside her head,” — she had been gradually 



52 


CLOVER. 


making ready for the great event of the 
spring. Little by little, a touch here and a 
touch there, matters had been put in train, 
and the result now appeared in a surprising 
ease of mind and absence of confusion. The 
house had received its spring cleaning a fort- 
night earlier than usual, and was in fair, 
nice order, with freshly-beaten carpets and 
newly-washed curtains. Katy’s dresses were 
ordered betimes, and had come home, been 
tried on, and folded away ten days before the 
wedding. They were not many in number, 
but all were pretty and in good taste, for the 
frigate was to be in Bar Harbor and Newport 
for a part of the summer, and Katy wanted to 
do Ned credit, and look well in his eyes and 
those of his friends. 

All the arrangements, kept studiously sim- 
ple, were beautifully systematized ; and their 
very simplicity made them easy to carry out. 
The guest chambers were completely ready, 
one or two extra helpers were engaged that 
the servants might not be overworked, the 
order of every meal for the three busiest days 


THE FIKST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 53 

was settled and written down. Each of the 
younger sisters had some special charge com- 
mitted to her. Elsie was to wait on Cousin 
Helen, and see that she and her nurse had 
everything they wanted. Clover was to care 
for the two Roses ; Johnnie to oversee the 
table arrangements, and make sure that all 
was right in that direction. Dear little Amy 
was indefatigable as a doer of errands, and 
her quick feet were at everybody’s service to 
save steps.” Cecy arrived, and haunted the 
house all day long, anxious to be of use to 
somebody ; Mrs. Ashe put her time at their 
disposal ; there was such a superabundance of 
helpers, in fact, that no one could feel over- 
taxed. And Katy, while still serving as main- 
spring to the whole, had plenty of time to 
write her notes, open her wedding presents, 
and enjoy her friends in a leisurely, unfa- 
tigued fashion which was a standing wonder- 
ment to Cecy, whose own wedding had been 
of the onerous sort, and had worn her to skin 
and bone. 

I am only just beginning to recover from 


54 


CLOVER. 


it now/’ she remarked plaintively, ^^and there 
you sit, Katy, looking as fresh as a rose ; not 
tired a bit, and never seeming to have any- 
thing on your mind. I can’t think how you 
do it. I never was at a wedding before where 
everybody was not perfectly worn out.” 

You never were at such a simple wedding 
before,” explained Katy. ^^I’m not ambi- 
tious, you see. I want to keep things pretty 
much as they are every day, only with a lit- 
tle more of everything because of there being 
more people to provide for. If I were at- 
tempting to make it a beautiful, picturesque 
wedding, we should get as tired as anybody, 
I have no doubt.” 

Katy’s gifts were numerous enough to sat- 
isfy even Clover, and comprised all manner 
of things, from a silver tray which came, with 
a rather stiff note, from Mrs. Page and Lilly, 
to Mary’s new flour-scoop, Debby’s sifter, 
and a bottle of home-made hair tonic from 
an old woman in the County Home.” Each 
of the brothers and sisters had made her 
something, Katy having expressed a prefer- 


THE FIEST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 55 

ence for presents of home manufacture. Mrs. 
Ashe gave her a beautiful sapphire ring, and 
Cecy Hall — as they still called her inadver- 
tently half the time — an elaborate sofa-pillow 
embroidered by herself. Katy liked all her 
gifts, both large and small, both for what they 
were and for what they meant, and took a 
good healthy, hearty satisfaction in the fact 
that so many people cared for her, and had 
worked to give her a pleasure. 

Cousin Helen was the first guest to arrive, 
five days before the wedding. When Dr. 
Carr, who had gone to Buffalo to meet and 
escort her down, lifted her from the carriage 
and carried her indoors, all of them could 
easily have fancied that it was the first visit 
happening over again, for she looked exactly 
as she did then, and scarcely a day older. 
She happened to have on a soft gray travel- 
ling dress too, much like that which she wore 
on the previous occasion, which made the 
illusion more complete. 

But there was no illusion to Cousin Helen 
herself. Everything to her seemed changed 


56 


CLOVEK. 


and quite different. The ten years which had 
passed so lightly over her head had made a 
vast alteration in the cousins whom she re- 
membered as children. The older ones were 
grown up, the younger ones in a fair way to 
be so; even Phil, who had been in white 
frocks with curls falling over his shoulders at 
the time of her former visit to Burnet, was 
now fifteen and as tall as his father. He was 
very slight in build, and looked delicate, she 
thought; but Katy assured her that he was 
perfectly well, and thin only because he had 
outgrown his strength. 

It was one of the delightful results of 
Katy’s “ forehandedness ” that she could com- 
mand time during those next two days to 
thoroughly enjoy Cousin Helen. She sat be- 
side her sofa for hours at a time, holding her 
hand and talking with a freedom of confidence 
such as she could have shown to no one else, 
except perhaps to Clover. She had the feel- 
ing that in so doing she was rendering account 
to a sort of visible conscience of all the events, 
the mistakes, the successes, the glad and the 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 57 

sorry of the long interval that had passed since 
they met. It was a pleasure and relief to her ; 
and to Cousin Helen the recital was of equal 
interest, for though she knew the main facts 
by letter, there was a satisfaction in collecting 
the little details which seldom get fully put 
into letters. 

One subject only Katy touched rather 
guardedly ; and that was Ned. She was so de- 
sirous that her cousin should approve of him, 
and so anxious not to raise her expectations 
and have her disappointed, that she would 
not half say how very nice she herself thought 
him to be. But Cousin Helen could read 
between the lines,’’ and out of Katy’s very 
reserve she constructed an idea of Ned which 
satisfied her pretty well. 

So the two happy days passed, and on the 
third arrived the other anxiously expected 
guests, Kose Bed and little Rose. 

They came early in the morning, when no 
one was particularly looking for them, which 
made it all the pleasanter. Clover was on the 
porch twisting the honeysuckle tendrils upon 


58 


CLOVER. 


the trellis when the carriage drove up to the 
gate, and Kose’s sunny face popped out of the 
window. Clover recognized her at once, and 
with a shriek which brought all the others 
downstairs, flew down the path, and had little 
Kose in her arms before any one else could 
get there. 

You see before you a deserted wife,’’ was 
Kose’s first salutation. ^^Deniston has just 
dumped us on the wharf, and gone on to Chi- 
cago in that abominable boat, leaving me to 
your tender mercies. 0 Business, Business ! 
what crimes are committed in thy name, as 
Madame Boland would say ! ” 

Never mind Deniston,” cried Clover, with 
a rapturous squeeze. ^‘Let us play that he 
doesn’t exist, for a little while. We have 
got you now, and we mean to keep you.” 

^^How pleasant you look ! ” said Kose, glanc- 
ing up the locust walk toward the house, 
which wore a most inviting and hospitable 
air, with doors and windows wide open, and 
the soft wind fluttering the vines and the 
white curtains. Ah, there comes Katy 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 59 

now.” She ran forward to meet her while 
Clover followed with little Eose. 

Let me det down, pease,” said that young 
lady, — the first remark she had made. I 
tan walk all by myself. I am not a baby any 
more.” 

‘‘Will you hear her talk?” cried Katy, 
catching her up. “ Is n’t it wonderful ? Eose- 
bud, who am I, do you think ? ” 

“ My Aunt Taty, I dess, betause you is so 
big. Is you mawwied yet ? ” 

No, incleed. Did you think I would get 
‘ mawwied ’ without you ? I have been waiting 
for you and mamma to come and help me.” 

“ Well, we is here,” in a tone of immense 
satisfaction. Now you tan.” 

The larger Eose meanwhile was making ac- 
quaintance with the others. She needed no 
introductions, but seemed to know by instinct 
which was each boy and each girl, and to fit 
the right names to them all. In five minutes 
she seemed as much at home as though she 
had spent her life in Burnet. They bore her 
into the house in a sort of triumph, and up- 


60 


CLOVER. 


stairs to the blue bedroom, which Katy and 
Clover had vacated for her; and such a hubbub 
of talk and laughter presently issued there- 
from that Cousin Helen, on the other side the 
entry, asked Jane to set her door open that 
she might enjoy the sounds, — they were so 
merry. 

Eose’s bright, rather high-pitched voice was 
easily distinguishable above the rest. She 
was evidently relating some experience of her 
journey, with an occasional splash by way of 
accompaniment, which suggested that she 
might be washing her hands. 

“ Yes, she really has grown awfully pretty ; 
and she had on the loveliest dark-brown suit 
you ever saw, with a fawn-colored hat, and 
was altogether dazzling ; and, do you know, I 
was really quite glad to see her. I can’t im- 
agine why, but I was ! I did n’t stay glad 
long, however.” 

Why not ? What did she do ? ” This 
in Clover’s voice. 

Well, she did n’t do anything, but she was 
distant and disagreeable. I scarcely observed 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY., 61 

it at first, I was so pleased to see one of the 
old Hillsover girls ; and I went on being very 
cordial. Then Lilly tried to put me down by 
running over a list of her fine acquaintances, 
Lady this, and the Marquis of that, — people 
whom she and her mother had known abroad. 
It made me think of my old autograph book 
with Antonio de Yallombrosa, and the rest. 
Do you remember ? ” 

Of course we do. Well, go on.’’ 

^^At last she said something about Comte 
Ernest de Conflans, — I had heard of him, per- 
haps ? He crossed in the steamer with 
‘ Mamma and me,’ it seems ; and we have seen 
a great deal of him. This appeared a good 
opportunity to show that I too have relations 
with the nobility, so I said yes, I had met him 
in Boston, and my sister had seen a good deal 
of him in Washington last winter. 

^ And what did she think of him ? ’ de- 
manded Lilly. 

Well,’ said I, ^she didn’t seem to think a 
great deal about him. She says all the young 
men at the French legation seem more than 


62 


CLOVER. 


usually foolish, but Comte Ernest is the worst 
of the lot. He really does look like an absolute 
fool, you know,’ I added pleasantly. Now, girls, 
what was there in that to make her angry ? 
Can you tell ? She grew scarlet, and glared as 
if she wanted to bite my head off ; and then she 
turned her back and would scarcely speak to 
me again. Does she always behave that way 
when the aristocracy is lightly spoken of? ” 
Oh, Eose, — oh. Rose,” cried Clover, in fits 
of laughter, did you really tell her that ? ” 

I really did. Why should n’t I ? Is there 
any reason in particular ? ” 

Only that she is engaged to him,” replied 
Katy, in an extinguished voice. 

“ Good gracious ! No wonder she scowled 1 
This is really dreadful. But then why did 
she look so black when she asked where we 
were going, and I said to your wedding ? That 
did n’t seem to please her any more than my 
little remarks about the nobility.” 

‘‘ I don’t pretend to understand Lilly,” said 
Katy, temperately ; she is an odd girl.’' 

I suppose an odd girl can’t be expected 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 63 

to have an even temper/’ remarked Kose, 
apparently speaking with a hairpin in her 
mouth. Well, I Ve done for myself, that is 
evident. I need never expect any notice in 
future from the Comtesse de Conflans.” 

Cousin Helen heard no more, but pres- 
ently steps sounded outside her door, and 
Katy looked in to ask if she were dressed, and 
if she might bring Eose in, a request which 
was gladly granted. It was a pretty sight to 
see Eose with Cousin Helen. She knew all 
about her already from Clover and Katy, 
and fell at once under the gentle spell which 
seemed always to surround that invalid sofa, 
begged leave to say Cousin Helen ” as the 
others did, and was altogether at her best and 
sweetest when with her, full of merriment, 
but full too of a deference and sympathy 
which made her particularly charming. 

‘‘ I never did see anything so lovely in all 
my life before/’ she told Clover in confidence. 

To watch her lying there looking so radiant 
and so peaceful and so interested in Katy’s 
affairs, and never once seeming to remember 


64 


CLOVER. 


that except for that accident she too would 
have been a bride and had a wedding ! It 's 
perfectly wonderful ! Do you suppose she 
is never sorry for herself? She seems the 
merriest of us all.” 

I don’t think she remembers herself often 
enough to be sorry. She is always thinking 
of some one else, it seems to me.” 

Well, I am glad to have seen her,” 
added Eose, in a more serious tone than was 
usual to her. She and grandmamma are of a 
different order of beings from the rest of the 
world. I don’t wonder you and Katy always 
were so good ; you ought to be with such a 
Cousin Helen.” 

I don’t think we were as good as you 
make us out, but Cousin Helen has really 
been one of the strong influences of our lives. 
She was the making of Katy, when she had 
that long illness ; and Katy has made the rest 
of us.” 

Little Rose from the first moment became 
the delight of the household, and especially of 
Amy Ashe, who could not do enough for her. 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 65 

and took her off her mother’s hands so entire- 
ly that Eose complained that she seemed to 
have lost her child as well as her husband. 
She was a sedate little maiden, and wonder- 
fully wise for her years. Already, in some 
ways she seemed older than her erratic little 
mother, of whom, in *a droll fashion, she as- 
sumed a sort of charge. She was a born 
housewife. 

Mamma, you have fordotten your wings,” 
Clover would hear her saying. Mamma, 
you has a wip in your seeve, you must mend 
it,” or Mamma, don’t fordet dat your teys 
is in the top dwawer,” — all these reminders 
and advices being made particularly comical 
by the baby pronunciation. Eose’s theory 
was that little Eose was a messenger from 
heaven sent to buffet her and correct her 
mistakes. 

The bane and the antidote,” she would 
say. Think of my having a child with 
powers of ratiocination ! ” 

Eose came down the night of her arrival 
after a long, freshening nap, looking rested 

5 


66 


CLOVER. 


and bonny in a pretty blue dress, and saying 
that as little Rose too had taken a good sleep, 
she might sit up to tea if the family liked. 
The family were only too pleased to have 
her do so. After tea Rose carried her off, 
ostensibly to go to bed, but Clover heard a 
great deal of confabulating and giggling in 
the hall and on the stairs, and soon after. Rose 
returned, the door-bell rang loudly, and there 
entered an astonishing vision, — little Rose, 
costumed as a Cupid or a carrier-pigeon, no 
one knew exactly which, with a pair of large 
white wings fastened on her shoulders, and 
dragging behind her by a loop of ribbon a 
sizeable basket quite full of parcels. 

Straight toward Katy she went, and with 
her small hands behind her back and her blue 
eyes fixed full on Katy’s face, repeated with 
the utmost solemnity the following poem : 

“ I ’m a messender, you see, 

Fwom Hymen’s Expwess Tumpany. 

All these little bundles are 
For my Aunty Taty Tarr ; 

If she knows wot ’s dood for her 
She will tiss the messender.” 


“I’m a messender, you see, 

Fwom Hymen’s Expwess Tumpany.” 

Page 66. 




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THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 67 

You sweet thing ! ’’ cried Katy, tissing 
the messender ” with all her heart. I never 
heard such a dear little poem. Did you 
write it yourself, Roslein ? ” 

No. Mamma wote it, but she teached it 
to me so I tould say it.’* 

The bundles of course contained wedding 
gifts. Rose seemed to have brought her 
trunk full of them. There were a pretty pair 
of salt-cellars from Mrs. Redding, a charming 
paper-knife of silver, with an antique coin set 
in the handle, from Sylvia, a hand-mirror 
mounted in brass from Esther Dearborn, a 
long towel with fringed and embroidered 
ends from Ellen Gray, and from dear old Mrs. 
Redding a beautiful lace-pin set with a moon- 
stone. Next came a little repousse pitcher 
marked, With love from Mary Silver,” then 
a parcel tied with pink ribbons, containing a 
card-case of Japanese leather, which was little 
Rose’s gift, and last of all Rose’s own present, 
a delightful case full of ivory brushes and 
combs. Altogether never was such a satisfac- 
tory fardel” brought by Hymen’s or any 


68 


CLOVER. 


other express company before ; and in open- 
ing the packages, reading the notes that 
came with them and exclaiming and admir- 
ing, time flew so fast that Eose quite forgot 
the hour, till little Eose, growing sleepy, 
reminded her of it by saying, — 

“ Mamma, I dess I ’d better do to bed now, 
betause if I don’t I shall be too seepy to turn 
to Aunt Taty’s wedding to-mowwow.” 

Dear me ! ” cried Eose, catching the child 
up. This is simply dreadful ! what a 
mother I am ! Things are come to a pass 
indeed, if babes and sucklings have to ask to 
be put to bed. Baby, you ought to have 
been christened Nathan the Wise.” 

She disappeared with Eoslein’s drowsy eyes 
looking over her shoulder. 

Next afternoon came Ned, and with him, to 
Katy’s surprise and pleasure, appeared the 
good old commodore who had played such 
a kind part in their affairs in Italy the year 
before. It was a great compliment that he 
should think it worth while to come so far 
to see one of his junior officers married ; 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 69 

and it showed so much real regard for Ned 
that everybody was delighted. These guests 
were quartered with Mrs. Ashe, but they took 
most of their meals with the Carrs ; and it 
was arranged that they, with Polly and Amy, 
should come to an early breakfast on the 
marriage morning. 

After Ned’s arrival things did seem to 
grow a little fuller and busier, for he nat- 
urally wanted Katy to himself, and she was 
too preoccupied to keep her calm grasp 
on events ; still all went smoothly, and Kose 
declared that there never was such a wed- 
ding since the world was made, — no tears, 
no worries, nobody looking tired, nothing 
disagreeable ! 

Clover’s one great subject of concern was 
the fear that it might rain. There was a lit- 
tle haze about the sunset the night before, 
and she expressed her intention to Cousin 
Helen of lying awake all night to see how 
things looked. 

I really feel as if I could not bear it if it 
should storm,” she said, after all this fine 


70 


CLOVER. 


weather too ; and I know I shall not sleep a 
wink, anyway.” 

I think we can trust God to take care of 
the weather even on Katy’s wedding-day,” 
replied Cousin Helen, gently. 

And after all it was she who lay awake. 
Pain had made her a restless sleeper, and as 
her bed commanded the great arch of western 
sky, she saw the moon, a sharp-curved silver 
shape, descend and disappear a little before 
midnight. She roused again when all was 
still, solemn darkness except for a spangle of 
stars, and later, opened her eyes in time to 
catch the faint rose flush of dawn reflected 
from the east. She raised herself on her 
elbow to watch the light grow. 

It is a fair day for the child,” she whis- 
pered to herself. How good God is ! ” 
Then she slept again for a long, restful space, 
and woke refreshed, so that Katy’s secret fear 
that Cousin Helen might be ill from excite- 
ment, and not able to come to her wedding, 
was not realized. 

Clover, meantime, had slept soundly all 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 71 

night. She and Katy shared the same room, 
and waked almost at the same moment. It 
was early still ; but the sisters felt bright and 
rested and ready for work, so they rose at 
once. 

They dressed in silence, after a little whis- 
pered rejoicing over the beautiful morning, 
and in silence took their Bibles and sat down 
side by side to read the daily portion which 
was their habit. Then hand in hand they 
stole downstairs, disturbing nobody, softly 
opened doors and windows, carried bowls and 
jars out on the porch, and proceeded to 
arrange a great basket full of roses which 
had been brought the night before, and set 
in the dew-cool shade of the willows to keep 
fresh. 

Before breakfast all the house had put on 
festal airs. Summer had come early to Bur- 
net that year ; every garden was in bud and 
blossom, and every one who had flowers had 
sent their best to grace Katy's wedding. The 
whole world seemed full of delicious smells. 
Each table and chimney-piece bore a fragrant 


72 


CLOVEK. 


load ; a great bowl of Jacqueminots stood in 
the middle of the breakfast-table, and two 
large jars of the same on the porch, where 
Clover had arranged various seats and cush- 
ions that it might serve as a sort of outdoor 
parlor. 

Nobody who came to that early breakfast 
ever forgot its peace and pleasantness and 
the sweet atmosphere of affection which seem- 
ed to pervade everything about it. After 
breakfast came family prayers as usual. Dr. 
Carr reading the chapter, and the dear old 
commodore joining with a hearty nautical 
voice in, — 

“Awake my soul! and with the sun,^’ 

which was a favorite hymn with all of them. 
Ned shared Katy’s book, and his face and hers 
alone would have been breakfast enough for 
the company if everything else had failed, as 
Eose remarked to Clover in a whisper, though 
nobody found any fault with the more sub- 
stantial fare which Debby had sent in pre- 
viously. Somehow this little mutual service 


THE FIEST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 73 

of prayer and praise seemed to fit in with the 
spirit of the day, and give it its keynote. 

It ’s just the sweetest wedding/’ Mrs. 
Ashe told her brother. And the wonderful 
thing is that everything comes so naturally. 
Katy is precisely her usual self, — only a lit- 
tle more so.” 

I ’m under great obligations to Amy for 
having that fever,” was Ned’s somewhat indi- 
rect answer; but his sister understood what 
he meant. 

Breakfast over, the guests discreetly re- 
moved themselves ; and the whole family 
joined in resetting the table for the luncheon, 
which was to be at two, Katy and Ned depart- 
ing in the boat at four. It was a simple but 
abundant repast, with plenty of delicious home- 
cooked food, — oysters and salads and cold 
chicken; fresh salmon from Lake Superior; 
a big Virginia ham baked to perfection, red 
and translucent to its savory centre ; hot 
coffee, and quantities of Debby’s perfect rolls. 
There were strawberries, also, and ice-cream, 
and the best of home-made cake and jellies, 


74 


CLOVER. 


and everywhere vases of fresh roses to per- 
fume the feast. When all was arranged, there 
was still time for Katy to make Cousin Helen 
a visit, and then go to her room for a quiet 
rest before dressing ; and still that same un- 
hurried air pervaded the house. 

There had been a little discussion the night 
before as to just how the bride should make 
her appearance at the decisive moment ; but 
Katy had settled it by saying simply that she 
should come downstairs, and Ned could meet 
her at the foot of the staircase. 

‘^It is the simplest way,’’ she said; ^^and 
you know I don’t want any fuss. I will just 
come down.” 

I dare say she ’s right,” remarked Eose ; 

but it seems to me to require a great deal 
of courage.” 

And after all, it didn’t. The simple and 
natural way of doing a thing generally turns 
out the easiest. Clover helped Katy to put 
on the wedding-gown of soft crape and creamy 
white silk. It was trimmed with old lace and 
knots of ribbon, and Katy wore with it two 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 75 

or three white roses which Ned had brought 
her, and a pearl pendant which was his gift. 
Then Clover had to go downstairs to receive 
the guests, and see that Cousin Helen’s sofa 
was put in the right place ; and Kose, who 
remained behind, had the pleasure of arrang- 
ing Katy’s veil. The yellow-white of the old 
blonde was very becoming, and altogether, 
the effect, though not stylish,” was very 
sweet. Katy was a little pale, but otherwise 
exactly like her usual self, with no tremors 
or self-consciousness. 

Presently little Eose came up with a mes- 
sage. 

Aunty Tover says dat Dr. Tone has turn, 
and everything is weddy, and you’d better 
turn down,” she announced. 

Katy gave Eose a last kiss, and went down 
the hall. But little Eose was so fascinated 
by the appearance of the white dress and veil 
that she kept fast hold of Katy’s hand, dis- 
regarding her mother’s suggestion that she 
should slip down the back staircase, as she 
herself proposed to do. 


76 


CLOYER. 


I want to do with my Aunt Taty/' 
she persisted. 

So it chanced that Katy came downstairs 
with pretty little Rose clinging to her like 
a sort of impromptu bridesmaid ; and meeting 
Ned’s eyes as he stood at the foot waiting for 
her, she forgot herself, lost the little sense of 
shyness which was creeping over her, and 
responded to his look with a tender, brilliant 
smile. The light from the hall-door caught 
her face and figure just then, the color flashed 
into her cheeks ; and she looked like a beau- 
tiful, happy picture of a bride, and all by 
accident, — which was the best thing about 
it ; for pre-arranged effects are not always 
effective, and are apt to betray their pre- 
arrangement. 

Then Katy took Ned’s arm, little Rose let 
go her hand, and they went into the parlor 
and were married. 

Dr. Stone had an old-fashioned and very 
solemn wedding service which he was accus- 
tomed to use on such occasions. He gener- 
ally spoke of the bride as Thy handmaiden,” 


THE FIRST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 77 

which was a form that Clover particularly 
deprecated. He had also been known to 
advert to the world where there is neither 
marrying nor giving in marriage as a great 
improvement on this, which seemed, to say 
the least, an unfortunate allusion under the 
circumstances. But upon this occasion his 
feelings were warmed and touched, and he 
called Katy " My dear child,” which was much 
better than " Thy handmaiden.” 

When the ceremony was over, Ned kissed 
Katy, and her father kissed her, and the girls 
and Dorry and Phil ; and then, without wait- 
ing for any one else, she left her place and 
went straight to where Cousin Helen lay on 
her sofa, watching the scene with those clear, 
tender eyes in which no shadow of past re- 
grets could be detected. Katy knelt down 
beside her, and they exchanged a long, silent 
embrace. There was no need for words be- 
tween hearts which knew each other so well. 

After that for a little while all was congrat- 
ulations and good wishes. I think no bride 
ever carried more hearty good-will into her 


78 


CLOVEK. 


new life than did my Katy. All sorts of 
people took Ned off into corners to tell him 
privately what a fortunate person he was in 
winning such a wife. Each fresh confidence 
of this sort was a fresh delight to him, he so 
thoroughly agreed with it. 

She ’s a prize, sir ! — she ’s a prize ! ” old 
Mr. Worrett kept repeating, shaking Ned’s 
hand with each repetition. Mrs. Worrett had 
not been able to come. She never left home 
now on account of the prevailing weakness of 
carryalls; but she sent Katy her best love 
and a gorgeous broom made of the tails of 
her own peacocks. 

Are n’t you sorry you are not going to stay 
and have a nice time with us all, and help eat 
up the rest of the cake ? ” demanded Clover, as 
she put her head into the carriage for a last 
kiss, two hours later. 

Yery ! ” said Katy ; but she did n’t look 
sorry at all. 

There’s one comfort,” Clover remarked 
valiantly, as she walked back to the house 
with her arm round Kose’s waist. She ’s 


THE FIKST WEDDING IN THE FAMILY. 79 

coming back in December, when the ship 
sails, and as likely as not she will stay a year, 
or perhaps two. That ’s what I like about the 
navy. You can eat your cake, and have it 
too. Husbands go off for good long times, and 
leave their wives behind them. I think it ’s 
delightful!” 

I wonder if Katy will think it quite so 
delightful,” remarked Eose. Girls are not 
always so anxious to ship their husbands off 
for what you call ‘ good long times.’ ” 

I think she ought. It seems to me per- 
fectly unnatural that any one should want to 
leave her own family and go away for always. 
I like Ned dearly, but except for this blessed 
arrangement about going to sea, I don’t see 
how Katy could.” 

Clover, you are a goose. You ’ll be 
wiser one of these days, see if you are fft,” 
was Rose’s only reply. 


CHAPTER lY. 


TWO LONG TEARS IN ONE SHORT CHAPTER. 

TY’S absence left a sad blank in the 
household. Every one missed her, 
but nobody so much as Clover, who 
all her life long had been her room-mate, 
confidante, and intimate friend. 

It was a great help that Rose was there 
for the first three lonely days. Dulness and 
sadness were impossible with that vivacious 
little person at hand; and so long as she 
stayed. Clover had small leisure to be mourn- 
ful. Rose was so bright and merry and af- 
fectionate that Elsie and John were almost as 
much in love with her as, Clover herself, and 
sat and sunned themselves in her warmth, so 
to speak, all day long, while Phil and Dorry 
fairly quarrelled as to which should have the 




TWO LONG YEARS. 


81 


pleasure of doing little services for her and 
Baby Rose. 

If she could have remained the summer 
through, all would have seemed easy; but 
that of course was impossible. Mr. Browne 
appeared with a provoking punctuality on the 
morning of the fourth day, prepared to carry 
his family away with him. He spent one 
night at Dr. Carr’s, and they all liked him 
very much. No one could help it, he was so 
cordial and friendly and pleasant. Still, for 
all her liking. Clover could have found it in 
her heart to quite detest him as the final 
moment drew near. 

‘‘ Let him go home without you,” she urged 
coaxingly. Stay with us all summer, — you 
and little Rose ! He can come back in Sep- 
tember to fetch you, and it would be so 
delightful to us.” 

My dear, I could n’t live without Deniston 
till September,” said the disappointing Rose. 

It may not show itself to a casual observer, 
but I am really quite foolish about Deniston. 
I should n’t be happy away from him at all. 


82 


CLOYER. 


He ’s the only husband I \e got, — a ^ poor 
thing, but mine own,’ as the ^ immortal 
William ’ puts it ” 

Oh, dear,” groaned Clover. That is the 
way that Katy is going to talk about Ned, I 
suppose. Matrimony is the most aggravating 
condition of things for outsiders that was ever 
invented. I wish nobody had invented it. 
Here it would be so nice for us to have you 
stay, and the moment that provoking husband 
of yours appears, you can’t think of any one 
else.” 

Too true — much too true. Now, Clovy, 
don’t embitter our last moments with re- 
proaches. It ’s hard enough to leave you as 
it is, when I ’ve just found you again after all 
these years. I’ve had the most beautiful 
visit that ever was, and youVe all been 
awfully dear and nice. ^ Kiss me quick and 
let me go,’ as the song says. I only wish Bur- 
net was next door to West Cedar Street ! ” 
Next day Mr. Browne sailed away with his 
‘^handful of Boses,” as Elsie sentimentally 
termed them (and indeed, Bose by herself 


TWO LONG YEARS. 


83 


would have been a handful for almost any man); 
and Clover, like Lord Ullin, was left lament- 
ing.’’ Cousin Helen remained, however ; and 
it was not till she too departed, a week later, 
that Clover fully recognized what it meant to 
have Katy married. Then indeed she could 
have found it in her heart to emulate Eugenie 
de la Ferronayes, and shed tears over all the 
little inanimate objects which her sister had 
left behind, — the worn-out gloves, the old 
dressing slippers in the shoe-bag. But dear 
me, we get used to everything, and it is for- 
tunate that we do ! Life is too full, and 
hearts too flexible, and really sad things too 
sad, for the survival of sentimental regrets 
over changes which do not involve real loss 
and the wide separation of death. In time, 
Clover learned to live without Katy, and to 
be cheerful still. 

Her cheerfulness was greatly helped by 
the letters which came regularly, and showed 
how contented Katy herself was. She and 
Ned were having a beautiful time, first in 
New York, and making visits near it, then in 


84 


CLOYER. 


Portsmouth and Portland, when the frigate 
moved on to these harbors, and in Newport, 
which was full and gay and amusing to the 
last degree. Later, in August, the letters 
came from Bar Harbor, where Katy had 
followed, in company with the commodore's 
wife, who seemed as nice as her husband ; and 
Clover heard of all manner of delightful do- 
ings, — sails, excursions, receptions on board 
ship, and long moonlight paddles with Ned, 
who was an expert canoeist. Everybody was 
so wonderfully kind, Katy said ; but Ned 
wrote to his sister that Katy was a great 
favorite ; every one liked her, and his particu- 
lar friends were all raging wildly round in 
quest of girls just like her to marry. But 
it 's no use ; for, as I tell them,” he added, 
‘Hhat sort isn’t made in batches. There is 
only one Katy; and happily she belongs to 
me, and the other fellows must get along as 
they can.” 

This was all satisfactory and comforting ; 
and Clover could endure a little loneliness 
herself so long as her beloved Katy seemed 


TWO LONG YEARS. 


85 


so happy. She was very busy besides, and 
there were compensations, as she admitted 
to herself. She liked the consequence of 
being at the head of domestic affairs, and 
succeeding to Katy’s position as papa’s spe- 
cial daughter, — the person to whom he came 
for all he wanted, and to whom he told his 
little secrets. She and Elsie became more 
intimate than they had ever been before ; 
and Elsie in her turn enjoyed being Clover’s 
lieutenant as Clover had been Katy’s. So 
the summer did not seem long to any of 
them; and when September was once past, 
and they could begin to say, month after 
next,” the time sped much faster. 

Mrs. Hall asked me this morning when the 
Worthingtons were coming,” said Johnnie, 
one day. "It seems so funny to have Katy 
spoken of as ^ the Worthingtons.’ ” 

"I only wish the Worthingtons would write 
and say when,” remarked Clover. " It is more 
than a week since we heard from them.” 

The next day brought the wished-for let- 
ter, and the good news that Ned had a fort- 


86 


CLOVER. 


night^s leave, and meant to bring Katy home 
the middle of November, and stay for Thanks- 
giving. After that the Natchitoches was to 
sail for an eighteen months’ cruise to China 
and Japan ; and then Ned would probably 
have two years ashore at the Torpedo Station 
or Naval Academy or somewhere, and they 
would start a little home for themselves. 

Meantime,” wrote Katy, I am coming to 
spend a year and a half with you, if urged. 
Don’t all speak at once, and don’t mind say- 
ing so, if you don’t want me.” 

The bitter drop in this pleasant intelligence 
— there generally is one, you know — w’as 
that the fortnight of Ned’s stay was to be 
spent at Mrs. Ashe’s. It ’s her only chance 
to see Ned,” said Katy; ^‘so 1 know you 
won’t mind, for afterward you will have me 
for such a long visit.” 

But they did mind very much ! 

I don’t think it ’s fair,” cried Johnnie, 
hotly, while Clover and Elsie exchanged dis- 
gusted looks ; Katy belongs to us.” 

Katy belongs to her husband, on the con- 


TWO LONG YEAES. 


87 


trary/’ said Dr. Carr, overhearing her ; you 
must learn that lesson once for all, children. 
There ’s no escape from the melancholy fact ; 
and it’s quite right and natural that Ned 
should wish to go to his sister, and she should 
want to have him.” 

Ned ! yes. But Katy — ’’ 

My dear, Katy is Ned,” answered Dr. 
Carr, with a twinkle. Then noticing the ex- 
tremely unconvinced expression of Johnnie’s 
face, he added more seriously, Don’t be 
cross, children, and spoil all Katyas pleasure 
in coming home, with your foolish jealousies. 
Clover, I trust to you to take these young muti- 
neers in hand and make them listen to reason.” 

Thus appealed to. Clover rallied her pow- 
ers, and while laboring to bring Elsie and 
John to a proper frame of mind, schooled 
herself as well, so as to be able to treat Mrs. 
Ashe amiably when they met. Dear, uncon- 
scious Polly meanwhile was devising all sorts 
of pleasant and hospitable plans designed to 
make Ned’s stay a sort of continuous fete to 
everybody. She put on no airs over the 


88 


CLOYER. 


preference shown her, and was altogether so 
kind and friendly and sweet that no one 
could quarrel with her even in thought, and 
Johnnie herself had to forgive her, and be 
contented with a little whispered grumble to 
Dorry now and then over the inconvenience 
of possessing ‘^people-in-law.” 

And then Katy came, the same Katy, only, 
as Clover thought, nicer, brighter, dearer, 
and certainly better-looking than ever. Sea 
air had tanned her a little, but the brown 
was becoming ; and she had gained an ease 
and polish of manner which her sisters ad- 
mired very much. And after all, it seemed 
to make little difference at which house they 
stayed, for they were in and out of both all 
day long ; and Mrs. Ashe threw her doors 
open to the Carrs and wanted some or all of 
them for every meal, so that except for the 
name of the thing, it was almost as satisfac- 
tory to have Katy over the way as occupying 
her old quarters. 

The fortnight sped only too rapidly. Ned 
departed, and Katy settled herself in the 


TWO LONG YEAKS. 


89 


familiar corner to wait till he should come 
back again. Navy wives have to learn the 
hard lesson of patience in the long separa- 
tions entailed by their husbands’ profession. 
Katy missed Ned sorely, but she was too un- 
selfish to mope, or to let the others know how 
hard to bear his loss seemed to her. She 
never told any one how she lay awake in 
stormy nights, or when the wind blew, — and 
it seemed to blow oftener than usual that 
winter, — imagining the frigate in a gale, 
and whispering little prayers for Ned’s safety. 
Then her good sense would come back, and re- 
mind her that wind in Burnet did not necessa- 
rily mean wind in Shanghai or Yokohama or 
wherever the " Natchitoches ” might be ; and 
she would put herself to sleep with the repe- 
tition of that lovely verse of Keble’s "Evening 
Hymn,” left out in most of the collections, 
but which was particularly dear to her : — 

“ Thou Ruler of the light and dark, 

Guide through the tempest Thine own Ark; 

Amid the howling, wintry sea. 

We are in port if we have Thee.” 


90 


CLOYER. 


So the winter passed, and the spring ; and 
another summer came and went, with little 
change to the quiet Burnet household, and 
Katy’s brief life with her husband began to 
seem dreamy and unreal, it lay so far behind. 
And then, with the beginning of the second 
winter came a new anxiety. 

Phil, as we said in the last chapter, had 
grown too fast to be very strong, and was the 
most delicate of the family in looks and 
health, though full of spirit and fun. Going 
out to skate with some other boys the week 
before Christmas, on a pond which was not 
so securely frozen as it looked, the ice gave 
way; and though no one was drowned, the 
whole party had a drenching, and were thor- 
oughly chilled. None of the others minded 
it much, but the exposure had a serious effect 
on Phil. He caught a bad cold which rap- 
idly increased into pneumonia ; and Christmas 
Day, usually such a bright one in the Carr 
household, was overshadowed by anxious fore- 
bodings, for Phil was seriously ill, and the 
doctor felt by no means sure how things 


TWO LONG YEARS. 


91 


would turn with him. The sisters nursed him 
devotedly, and by March he was out again ; 
but he did not get well or lose the persistent 
little cough, which kept him thin and weak. 
Dr. Carr tried this remedy and that, but 
nothing seemed to do much good ; and Katy 
thought that her father looked graver and 
more anxious every time that he tested Phil’s 
temperature or listened at his chest. 

It ’s not serious yet,” he told her in pri- 
vate; ^^but I don’t like the look of things. 
The boy is just at a turning-point. Any little 
thing might set him one way or the other. 
I wish I could send him away from this damp 
lake climate.” 

But sending a half-sick boy away is not 
such an easy thing, nor was it quite clear where 
he ought to go. So matters drifted along for 
another month, and then Phil settled the ques- 
tion for himself by having a slight hemorrhage. 
It was evident that something must be done, 
and speedily — but what ? Dr. Carr wrote to 
various medical acquaintances, and in reply 
pamphlets and letters poured in, each designed 


92 


CLOYER. 


to prove that the particular part of the 
country to which the pamphlet or the letter 
referred was the only one to which it was at 
all worth while to consign an invalid with 
delicate lungs. One recommended Florida, 
another Georgia, a third South Carolina ; a 
fourth and fifth recommended cold instead of 
heat, and an open air life with the mercury at 
zero. It was hard to decide what was best. 

He ought not to go off alone either,” said 
the puzzled father. He is neither old 
enough nor wise enough to manage by him- 
self, but who to send with him is the puzzle. 
It doubles the expense, too.” 

Perhaps I — ” began Katy, but her father 
cut her short with a gesture. 

^^No, Katy, I could n’t permit that. Your 
husband is due in a few weeks now. You 
must be free to go to him wherever he is, 
not hampered with the care of a sick brother. 
Besides, whoever takes charge of Phil must 
be prepared for a long absence, — at least a 
year. It must be either Clover or myself; 
and as it seems out of the question that I 


TWO LONG YEARS. 


93 


shall drop my practice for a year, Clover is 
the person.” 

^^Phil is seventeen now,” suggested Katy. 

That is not so very young.” 

No, not if he were in full health. Plenty 
of boys no older than he have gone out West 
by themselves, and fared perfectly well. But 
in Phil’s condition that would never answer. 
He has a tendency to be low-spirited about 
himself too, and he needs incessant care and 
watchfulness.” 

Out West,” repeated Katy. Have you 
decided, then ? ” 

Yes. The letter I had yesterday from 
Hope, makes me pretty sure that St. Helen’s 
is the best place we have heard of.” 

St. Helen’s ! Where is that ? ” 

^^It is one of the new health-resorts in 
Colorado which has lately come into notice 
for consumptives. It ’s very high up ; nearly 
or quite six thousand feet, and the air is said 
to be something remarkable.” 

Clover will manage beautifully, I think ; 
she is such a sensible little thing,” said Katy. 


94 


CLOVER. 


She seems to me, and he too, about as fit 
to go off two thousand miles by themselves as 
the Babes in the Wood,” remarked Dr. Carr, 
who, like many other fathers, found it hard to 
realize that his children had outgrown their 
childhood. However, there ’s no help for it. 
If I don’t stay and grind away at the mill, 
there is no one to pay for this long journey. 
Clover will have to do her best.” 

And a very good best it will be you ’ll 
see,” said Katy, consolingly. Does Dr. 
Hope tell you anything about the place ? ” 
she added, turning over the letter which her 
father had handed her. 

Oh, he says the scenery is fine, and the 
mean rain-fall is this, and the mean precipita- 
tion that, and that boarding-places can be had. 
That is pretty much all. So far as climate 
goes, it is the right place, but I presume the 
accommodations are poor enough. The chil- 
dren must go prepared to rough it. The town 
was only settled ten or eleven years ago ; 
there has n’t been time to make things com- 
fortable,” remarked Dr. Carr, with a truly 


TWO LONG TEAKS. 95 

Eastern ignorance of the rapid way in which 
things march in the far West. 

Clover’s feelings when the decision was an- 
nounced to her it would be hard to explain 
in full. She was both confused and exhila- 
rated by the sudden weight of responsibility 
laid upon her. To leave everybody and every- 
thing she had always been used to, and go 
away to such a distance alone with Phil, made 
her gasp with a sense of dismay, while at the 
same time the idea that for the first time in 
her life she was trusted with something really 
important, roused her energies, and made her 
feel braced and valiant, like a soldier to 
whom some difficult enterprise is intrusted 
on the day of battle. 

Many consultations followed as to what the 
travellers should carry with them, by what 
route they would best go, and how prepare 
for the journey. A great deal of contradictory 
advice was offered, as is usually the case 
when people are starting on a voyage or a 
long railway ride. One friend wrote to re- 
commend that they should provide themselves 


96 


CLOYEK. 


with a week’s provisions in advance, and en- 
closed a list of crackers, jam, potted meats, tea, 
fruit, and hardware, which would have made 
a heavy load for a donkey or mule to carry. 
How were poor Clover and Phil to transport 
such a weight of things? Another advised 
against umbrellas and water-proof cloaks, — 
what was the use of such things where it never 
rained ? — while a second letter, received the 
same day, assured them that thunder and 
hail storms were things for which travellers 
in Colorado must live in a state of continual 
preparation. Who shall decide when doctors 
disagree ? ” In the end Clover concluded that 
it was best to follow the leadings of common- 
sense and rational precaution, do about a quar- 
ter of what people advised, and leave the rest 
undone ; and she found that this worked very 
well. 

As they knew so little of the resources 
of St. Helen’s, and there was such a strong 
impression prevailing in the family as to its 
being a rough sort of newly-settled place, 
Clover and Katy judged it wise to pack a 


TWO LONG YEARS. 


97 


large box of stores to go out by freight: 
oatmeal and arrowroot and beef-extract and 
Albert biscuits, — things which Philly ought 
to have, and which in a wild region might be 
hard to come by. Debby filled all the cor- 
ners with home-made dainties of various sorts ; 
and Clover, besides a spirit-lamp and a tea-pot, 
put into her trunks various small decorations, 
Japanese fans and pictures, photographs, 
a vase or two, books and a sofa-pillow, — 
things which took little room, and which she 
thought would make their quarters look more 
comfortable in case they were very bare and 
unfurnished. People felt sorry for the prob- 
able hardships the brother and sister were to 
undergo; and they had as many little gifts 
and notes of sympathy and counsel as Katy 
herself when she was starting for Europe. 

But I am anticipating. Before the trunks 
were packed. Dr. CarPs anxieties about his 
“Babes in the Wood” were greatly allayed 
by a visit from Mrs. Hall. She came to tell 
him that she had heard of a possible matron” 
for Clover. 


7 


98 


CLOVER. 


am not acquainted with the lady my- 
self,” she said ; but my cousin, who writes 
about her, knows her quite well, and says she 
is a highly respectable person, and belongs to 
nice people. Her sister, or some one, mar- 
ried a Phillips of Boston, and I’ve always 
heard that that family was one of the best 
there. She ’s had some malarial trouble, and 
is at the West now on account of it, staying 
with a friend in Omaha; but she wants to 
spend the summer at St. Helen’s. And as I 
know you have worried a good deal over hav- 
ing Clover and Phil go off by themselves, I 
thought it might be a comfort to you to hear 
of this Mrs. Watson.” 

You are very good. If she proves to be 
the right sort of person, it will be an immense 
comfort. Do you know when she wants to 
start? ” 

About the end of May, — just the right 
time, you see. She could join Clover and 
Philip as they go through, which will work 
nicely for them all.” 

^^So it will. Well, this is quite a relief. 


TWO LONG YEARS. 


99 


Please write to your cousin, Mrs. Hall, and 
make the arrangement. I don’t want Mrs. 
Watson to be burdened with any real care of 
the children, of course ; but if she can arrange 
to go along with them, and give Clover a 
word of advice now and then, should she need 
it, I shall be easier in my mind about them.” 

Clover was only doubtfully grateful when 
she heard of this arrangement. 

Papa always will persist in thinking that 
I am a baby still,” she said to Katy, drawing 
her little figure up to look as tall as possible. 

I am twenty-two, I would have him remem- 
ber. How do we know what this Mrs. Watson 
is like ? She may be the most disagreeable 
person in the world for all papa can tell.” 

I really can’t find it in my heart to be 
sorry that it has happened, papa looks so 
much relieved by it,” Katy rejoined. 

But all dissatisfactions and worries and 
misgivings took wings and flew away when, 
just ten days before the travellers were to 
start, a new and delightful change was made 
in the programme. Ned telegraphed that 


100 


CLOVER. 


the ship, instead of coming to New York, was 
ordered to San Francisco to refit, and he 
wanted Katy to join him there early in June, 
prepared to spend the summer ; while al- 
most simultaneously came a letter from Mrs. 
Ashe, who with Amy had been staying a 
couple of months in New York, to say that 
hearing of Ned's plan had decided her also 
to take a trip to California with some friends 
who had previously asked her to join them. 
These friends were, it seemed, the Daytons of 
Albany. Mr. Dayton was a railroad magnate, 
and had the control of a private car in which 
the party were to travel ; and Mrs. Ashe was 
authorized to invite Katy, and Clover and 
Phil also, to go along with them, — the for- 
mer all the way to California, and the others 
as far as Denver, where the roads separated. 

This was truly delightful. Such an offer 
was surely worth a few days’ delay. The 
plan seemed to settle itself all in one minute. 
Mrs. Watson, whom every one now regretted 
as a complication, was the only difficulty ; but j 
a couple of telegrams settled that perplexity, 


TWO LONG YEARS. 


• 101 


and it was arranged that she should join 
them on the same train, though in a different 
car. To have Katy as a fellow-traveller, and 
Mrs. Ashe and Amy, made a different thing 
of the long journey, and Clover proceeded 
with her preparations in jubilant spirits. 


CHAPTER V. 


CAE FORTY-SEVEN. 

is they who stay behind who suffer 
most from leave-takings. Those 
who go have the continual change 
of scenes and impressions to help them to for- 
get; those who remain must bear as best 
they may the dull heavy sense of loss and 
separation. 

The parting at Burnet was not a cheerful 
one. Clover was oppressed with the nearness 
of untried responsibilities; and though she 
kept up a brave face, she was inwardly home- 
sick. Pliil slept badly the night before the 
start, and looked so wan and thin as he stood 
on the steamer’s deck beside his sisters, wav- 
ing good-by to the party on the w^harf, that 
a new and sharp thrill of anxiety shot through 
his father’s heart. The boy looked so young 



CAR FORTY-SEYEN. 


103 


and helpless to be sent away ill among stran- 
gers, and round-faced little Clover seemed 
such a fragile support ! There was no help 
for it. The thing was decided on, decided 
for the best, as they all hoped ; but Dr. Carr 
was not at all happy in his mind as he 
watched the steamer become a gradually les- 
sening speck in the distance, and he sighed 
heavily when at last he turned away. 

Elsie echoed the sigh. She, too, had 
noticed Phil’s looks and papa’s gravity, and 
her heart felt heavy within her. The house, 
when they reached it, seemed lonely and 
empty. Papa went at once to his office, and 
they heard him lock the door. This was such 
an unusual proceeding in the middle of the 
morning that she and Johnnie opened wide 
eyes of dismay at each other. 

Is papa crying, do you suppose ? ” whis- 
pered John. 

No, I don’t think it can be thd. Papa 
never does cry ; but I ’m afraid he ’s feeling 
badly/’ responded Elsie, in the same hushed 
tone. “ Oh, dear, how horrid it is not even to 


104 


CLOYEK. 


have Clover at home! What are we going to 
do without her and Katy ? ” 

"I don’t know I’m sure. You can’t think 
how queer I feel, Elsie, — just as if my 
heart had slipped out of its place, and was 
going down, down into my boots. I think it 
must be the way people feel when they are 
homesick. I had it once before when I was 
at Inches Mills, but never since then. How 
I wish Philly had never gone to skate on that 
nasty pond I ” and John burst into a passion 
of tears. 

Oh, don’t, don’t 1 ” cried poor Elsie, for 
Johnnie’s sobs were infectious, and she felt an 
ominous lump coming into her own throat, 
don’t behave so, Johnnie. Think if papa 
came out, and found us crying 1 Clover par- 
ticularly said that we must make the house 
bright for him. I’m going to sow the migno- 
nette seed [desperately] ; come and help me. 
The trowel is on the back porch, and you 
might get Dorry’s jack-knife and cut some 
little sticks to mark the places.” 

This expedient was successful. Johnnie, 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN. 


105 


who loved to whittle ” above all things, 
dried her tears, and ran for her shade hat ; 
and by the time the tiny brown seeds were 
sprinkled into the brown earth of the borders, 
both the girls were themselves again. Dr. 
Carr appeared from his retirement half an 
hour later. A note had come for him mean- 
while, but somehow no one had quite liked 
to knock at the door and deliver it. 

Elsie handed it to him now, with a timid, 
anxious look, whose import seemed to strike 
him, for he laughed a little, and pinched her 
cheek as he read. 

I 've been writing to Dr. Hope about the 
children,” he said ; that ’s all. Don’t wait 
dinner for me, chicks. I ’m off for the Cor- 
ners to see a boy who ’s had a fall, and I ’ll 
get a bite there. Order something good for 
tea, Elsie ; and afterward we ’ll have a game 
of cribbage if I ’m not called out. We must 
be as jolly as we can, or Clover will scold us 
when she comes back.” 

Meanwhile the three travellers were faring 
through the first stage of their journey very 


106 


CLOVER. 


comfortably. The fresh air and change 
brightened Phil ; he ate a good dinner, and 
afterward took quite a long nap on a sofa, 
Clover sitting by to keep him covered and 
see that he did not get cold. Late in the 
evening they changed to the express train, 
and there again, Phil, after being tucked up 
behind the curtains of his section, went to 
sleep and passed a satisfactory night, so that 
he reached Chicago looking so much better 
than when they left Burnet that his father’s 
heart would have been lightened could he 
have seen him. 

Mrs. Ashe came down to the station to 
meet them, together with Mr. Dayton, — a 
kind, friendly man with a tired but particu- 
larly pleasant face. All the necessary trans- 
fer of baggage, etc., was made easy, and they 
were carried off at once to the hotel where 
rooms had been secured. There they were 
rapturously received by Amy, and introduced 
to Mrs. Dayton, a sweet, spirited little matron, 
with a face as kindly as her husband’s, but 
not so worn. Mr. Dayton looked as if for 


CAR FORTY-SEYEN. 


107 


years he had been bearing the whole weight 
of a railroad on his shoulders, as in one 
sense it may be said that he had. 

We have been here almost a whole day/’ 
said Amy, who had taken possession, as a mat- 
ter of course, of her old perch on Katy’s knee. 

Chicago is the biggest place you ever saw, 
Tanta; but it isn’t so pretty as Burnet. And 
oh ! don’t you think Car Forty-seven is nice, 
— the one we are going out West in, you 
know ? And this morning Mr. Dayton took 
us to see it. It ’s the cunningest place that 
ever was. There ’s one dear little drawer in 
the wall that Mrs. Dayton says I may have 
to keep Mabel’s things in. I never saw a 
drawer in a car before. There ’s a lovely 
little bedroom too, and such a nice washing- 
basin, and a kitchen, and all sorts of things. 
I can hardly wait till I show them to you. 
Don’t you think that travelling is the most 
delightful thing in the world. Miss Clover ? ” 

Yes — if only — people — don’t get too 
tired,” said Clover, with an anxious glance at 
Phil, as he lay back in an easy-chair. She did 


108 


CLOVER. 


not dare say, if Phil does n’t get too tired,” 
for she had already discovered that nothing 
annoyed him so much as being talked about 
as an invalid, and that he was very apt to 
revenge himself by doing something impru- 
dent immediately afterward, to disguise from 
an observant world the fact that he could n’t 
do it without running a risk. Like most boys, 
he resented being “ fussed over,” — a fact 
which made the care of him more difficult 
than it would otherwise have been. 

The room which had been taken for Clover 
and Katy looked out on the lake, which was 
not far away ; and the reach of blue water 
would have made a pretty view if trains of 
cars had not continually steamed between it 
and the hotel, staining the sky and blurring 
the prospect with their smokes. Katy won- 
dered how it happened that the early settlers 
who laid out Chicago had not bethought 
themselves to secure this fine water frontage 
as an ornament to the future city ; but Mr. 
Dayton explained that in the rapid growth of 
Western towns, things arranged themselves 


CAE FOETY-SEYEN. 


109 


rather than were arranged for, and that the 
first pioneers had other things to think about 
than what a New Englander would call 

sightliness/’ — and Katy could easily believe 
this to be true. 

Car Forty-seven was on the track when 
they drove to the station at noon next day. 
It was the end car of a long express train, 
which, Mr. Dayton told them, is considered 
the place of honor, and generally assigned 
to private cars. It was of an old-fashioned 
pattern, and did not compare, as they were 
informed, with the palaces on wheels built 
nowadays for the use of railroad presidents 
and directors. But though Katy heard of 
cars with French beds, plunge baths, open 
fireplaces, and other incredible luxuries, Car 
Forty-seven still seemed to her inexperienced 
eyes and Clover’s a marvel of comfort and 
convenience. 

A small kitchen, a store closet, and a sort 
of baggage-room, fitted with berths for two 
servants, occupied the end of the car nearest 
the engine. Then came a dressing-closet. 


110 


CLOVER. 


with ample marble basins where hot water as 
well as cold was always on tap ; then a wide 
state-room, with a bed on either side, and 
then a large compartment occupying the 
middle of the car, where by day four nice 
little dining-tables could be set, with a seat 
on either side, and by night six sleeping sec- 
tions made up. The rest of the car was ar- 
ranged as a sitting-room, glassed all around, 
and furnished with comfortable seats of vari- 
ous kinds, a writing-desk, two or three tables 
of different sizes, and various small lockers 
and receptacles, fitted into the partitions to 
serve as catch-alls for loose articles of all sorts. 

Bunches of lovely roses and baskets of 
strawberries stood on the tables; and quite 
a number of the Daytons' friends had come 
down to see them off, each bringing some sort 
of good-by gift for the travellers, — flowers, 
hothouse grapes, early cherries, or home- 
made cake. They were all so cordial and 
pleasant and so interested in Phil, that Katy 
and Clover lost their hearts to each in turn, 
and forever afterward were ready to stand 


CAE FORTY-SEVEN. 


Ill 


up for Chicago as the kindest place that ever 
was seen. 

Then amid farewells and good wishes the 
train moved slowly out of the station, and the 
inmates of Car Forty-seven proceeded to go 
to housekeeping/’ as Mrs. Dayton expressed it, 
and to settle themselves and their belongings 
in these new quarters. Mrs. Ashe and Amy, 
it was decided, should occupy the state-room, 
and the other ladies were to dress there when 
it was convenient. Sections were assigned to 
everybody, — Clover’s opposite Phil’s so that 
she might hear him if he needed anything in 
the night ; and Mr. Dayton called for all the 
bonnets and hats, and amid much laughter pro- 
ceeded to pin up each in thick folds of news- 
paper, and fasten it on a hook not to be taken 
down till the end of the journey. Mabel’s 
feathered turban took its turn with the rest, 
at Amy’s particular request. Dust was the 
main thing to be guarded against, and Katy, 
having been duly forewarned, had gone out 
in the morning, and bought for herself and 
Clover soft hats of whity-gray felt and veils 


]12 


CLOVER. 


of the same color, like those which Mrs. Day- 
ton and Polly had provided for the journey, 
and which had the advantage of being light 
as well as unspoilable. 

But there was no dust that first morning, 
as the train ran smoothly across the fertile 
prairies of Illinois first, and then of Iowa, 
between fields dazzling with the fresh green 
of wheat and rye, and waysides studded with 
such wild-flowers as none of them had ever 
seen or dreamed of before. Pink spikes and 
white and vivid blue spikes ; masses of brown 
and orange cups, like low-growing tulips ; 
ranks of beautiful vetches and purple lu- 
pines ; escholtzias, like immense sweeps of 
golden sunlight ; wild sweet peas ; trumpet- 
shaped blossoms whose name no one knew, — 
all flung broadcast over the face of the land, 
and in such stintless quantities that it dazzled 
the mind to think of as it did the eyes to be- 
hold them. The low-lying horizons looked 
infinitely far off ; the sense of space w^as con- 
fusing. Here and there appeared a home- 
stead, backed with a ‘^break-wind’’ of thickly- 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN. 


113 


planted trees; but the general impression 
was of vast, still distance, endless reaches of 
sky, and uncounted flowers growing for their 
own pleasure and with no regard for human 
observation. 

In studying Car Forty-seven, Katy was 
much impressed by the thoroughness of Mrs. 
Dayton’s preparations for the comfort of her 
party. Everything that could possibly be 
needed seemed to have been thought of, — 
pins, cologne, sewing materials, all sorts of 
softening washes for the skin, to be used on 
the alkaline plains, sponges to wet and fasten 
into the crown of hats, other sponges to 
breathe through, medicines of various kinds, 
sticking-plaster, witch-hazel and arnica, whisk 
brooms, piles of magazines and novels, tele- 
graph blanks, stationery. Nothing seemed 
forgotten. Clover said that it reminded her 
of the mother of the Swiss Family Robinson 
and that wonderful bag out of which every- 
thing was produced that could be thought of, 
from a grand piano to a bottle of pickles ; 
and after that Mrs. Robinson became Mrs. 


8 


114 


CLOYEK. 


Dayton’s pet name among her fellow-travel- 
lers. She adopted it cheerfully ; and her 
wonderful bag ” proving quite as unfailing 
and trustworthy as that of her prototype, the 
title seemed justified. 

Pretty soon after starting came their first 
dinner on the car. Such a nice one ! — soup, 
roast chicken and lamb, green peas, new pota- 
toes, stewed tomato; all as hot and as per- 
fectly served as if they had been ^^on dry 
land,” as Amy phrased it. There was fresh 
curly lettuce too, with mayonnaise dressing, 
and a dessert of strawberries and ice-cream, — 
the latter made and frozen on the car, whose re- 
sources seemed inexhaustible. The cook had 
been attached to Car Forty-seven for some 
years, and had a celebrity on his own road 
for the preparation of certain dishes, which 
no one else could do as well, however many 
markets and refrigerators and kitchen ranges 
might be at command. One of these dishes 
was a peculiar form of cracked wheat, made 
crisp and savory after some mysterious fash- 
ion, and eaten with thick cream. Like most 


CAR' FORTY-SEVEN. 


115 


cliefs^ the cook liked to do the things in which 
he excelled, and finding that it was admired, 
he gave the party this delicious wheat every 
morning. 

“ The car seems paved with bottles of Apollinaris 
and with lemons,” wrote Katj to her father. 
“ There seems no limit to the supply. Just as 
surely as it grows warm and dusty, and we begin to 
remember that we are thirsty, a tinkle is heard, and 
Bayard appears with a tray, — iced lemonade, if you 
please, made with Apollinaris water with straw- 
berries floating on top ! What do you think of that 
at thirty miles an hour ? Bayard is the colored 
butler. The cook is named Boland. We have a 
fine flavor of peers and paladins among us, you 
perceive. 

“ The first day out was cool and delicious, and we 
had no dust. At six o ’clock we stopped at a junc- 
tion, and our car was detached and run off on a 
siding. This was because Mr. Dayton had business 
in the place, and we were to wait and be taken on 
by the next express train soon after midnight. At 
first they ran us down to a pretty place by the side 
of the river, where it was cool, and we could look 
out on the water and a green bank opposite, and we 
thought we were going to have such a nice night ; 


116 


CLOYER. 


but the authorities changed their minds, and pres- 
ently to our deep disgust a locomotive came puffing 
down the road, clawed us up, ran us back, and 
finally left us in the middle of innumerable tracks 
and switches just where all the freight trains came 
in and met. All night long they were arriving and 
going out. Cars loaded with cattle, cars loaded 
with sheep, with pigs ! Such bleatings and mooings 
and gruntings, I never heard in all my life before. 
I could think of nothing but that verse in the 
Psalms, ‘ Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me 
round,’ and could only hope that the poor animals 
did not feel half as badly as they sounded. 

“ Then long before light, as we lay listening to 
these lamentable roarings and grunts, and quite un- 
able to sleep for heat and noise, came the blessed 
express, and presently we were away out of all the 
din, with the fresh air of the prairie blowing in ; and 
in no time at all we were so sound asleep that it 
seemed but a minute before morning. Phil’s slum- 
bers lasted so long that we had to breakfast with- 
out him, for Mrs. Dayton would not let us wake him 
up. You can’t think how kind she is, and Mr. 
Dayton too ; and this way of travelling is so easy 
and delightful that it scarcely seems to tire one at 
all. Phil has borne the journey wonderfully well 
so far.” 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN. 


117 


At Omaha, on the evening of the second 
day, Clover’s future matron” and adviser, 
Mrs. Watson, was to join them. She had been 
telegraphed to from Chicago, and had replied, 
so that they knew she was expecting them. 
Clover’s thoughts were so occupied with curi- 
osity as to what she would turn out to be, 
that she scarcely realized that she was cross- 
ing the Mississippi for the first time, and 
she gave scant attention to the low bluffs 
which bound the river, and on which the In- 
dians used to hold their councils in those 
dim days when there was still an undis- 
covered West” set down in geographies and 
atlases. 

As soon as they reached the Omaha side of 
the river, she and Katy jumped down from 
the car, and immediately found themselves 
face to face with an anxious-looking little 
old lady, with white hair frizzled and banged 
over a puckered forehead, and a pair of 
watery blue eyes peering from beneath, evi- 
dently in search of somebody. Her hands 
were quite full of bags and parcels, and a 


118 


CLOVER. 


little heap of similar articles lay on the plat- 
form near her, of which she seemed afraid to 
lose sight for a moment. 

Oh, is it Miss Carr ? ’’ was her first saluta- 
tion. 1 ’m Mrs. Watson. I thought it might 
be you, from the fact that you got out of that 
car, and it seems rather different — I am 
quite relieved to see you. 1 did n’t know but 
something — My daughter she said to me 
as I was coming away, ^Now, Mother, don’t 
lose yourself, whatever you do. It seems 
quite wild to think of you in Canyon this and 
Canyon that, and the Garden of the Gods ! 
Do get some one to keep an eye on you, or 
we shall never hear of you again. You ’ll — ’ 
It ’s quite a comfort that you have got here. 
I supposed you would, but the uncertainty — 
Oh, dear ! that man is carrying off my 
trunks. Please run after him and tell him 
to bring them back ! ” 

^^It’s all right; he ’s the porter,” explained 
Mr. Dayton. Did you get your checks for 
Denver or St. Helen’s ? ” 

Oh, I have n’t any checks yet. I did n’t 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN-. 


119 


know which it ought to be, so I waited till — 
Miss Carr and her brother would see to it 
for me 1 knew, and I wrote my daughter — 
My friend, Mrs. Peters, — I been staying 
with her, you know, — was sick in bed, and 
I would n’t let — Dear me ! what has that 
gentleman gone ofE for in such a hurry ? ” 

He has gone to get your checks,” said 
Clover, divided between diversion and dismay 
at this specimen of her future “ matron.” 

We only stay here a few minutes, I believe. 
Do you know exactly when the train starts, 
Mrs. Watson?” 

^^No, dear, 1 don’t. I never know any- 
thing about trains and things like that. 
Somebody always has to tell me, and put me 
on the cars. I shall trust to you and your 
brother to do that now. It ’s a great comfort 
to have a gentleman to see to things for 
you.” 

A gentleman ! Poor Philly ! 

Mr. Dayton now came back to them. It 
was lucky that he knew the station and was 
used to the ways of railroads, for it appeared 


120 


CLOYER. 


that Mrs. Watson had made no arrangements 
whatever for her journey, but had blindly 
devolved the care of herself and her belong- 
ings on her young friends,” as she called 
Clover and Phil. She had no sleeping sec- 
tion secured and no tickets, and they had to 
be procured at the last moment and in such a 
scramble that the last of her parcels was 
handed on to the platform by a porter, at full 
run, after the train was in motion. She was 
not at all flurried by the commotion, though 
others were, and blandly repeated that she 
knew from the beginning that all would be 
right as soon as Miss Carr and her brother 
arrived. 

Mrs. Dayton had sent a courteous invita- 
tion to the old lady to come to Car Forty- 
seven for tea, but Mrs. Watson did not at all 
like being left alone meantime, and held fast 
to Clover when the others moved to go. 

I ’m used to being a good deal looked 
after,’' she explained. “ All the family know 
my ways, and they never do let me be alone 
much. I 'm taken faint sometimes ; and the 


CAR FORTY-SEYEN'. 


121 


doctor says it ’s my heart or something that ’s 
the cause of it, so my daughter she — You 
ain’t going, my dear, are you ? ” 

I must look after my brother,” said poor 
Clover ; he ’s been ill, you know, and this 
is the time for his medicine.” 

Dear me ! is he ill ? ” said Mrs. Watson, in 
an aggrieved tone. “ I was n’t prepared for 
that. You’ll have your hands pretty full with 
him and me both, won’t you ? — for though 
I ’m well enough just now, there ’s no know- 
ing what a day may bring forth, and you’re 
all I have to depend upon. You ’re sure you 
must go ? It seems as if your sister — Mrs. 
Worthing, is that the name? — might see to 
the medicine, and give you a little freedom. 
Don’t let your brother be too exacting, dear. 
It is the worst thing for a young man. I ’ll 
sit here a little while, and then I’ll — The 
conductor will help me, I suppose, or perhaps 
that gentleman might — I hate to be left 
by myself.” 

These were the last words which Clover 
heard as she escaped. She entered Car Forty- 


122 


CLOYER. 


seven with such a rueful and disgusted coun- 
tenance that everybody burst out laughing. 

What is the matter, Miss Clover ? asked 
Mr. Dayton. Has your old lady left some- 
thing after all ? ” 

Don't call her my old lady! I’m sup- 
posed to be her young lady, under her 
charge,” said Clover, trying to smile. But 
the moment she got Katy to herself, she 
burst out with, — 

My dear, what am I going to do ? It ’s 
really too dreadful. Instead of some one to 
help me, which is what papa meant, Mrs. 
Watson seems to depend on me to take all 
the care of her ; and she says she has faint- 
ing fits and disease of the heart ! How can I 
take care of her ? Phil needs me all the 
time, and a great deal more than she does ; 
I don’t see how I can.” 

^^You can’t, of course. You are here to 
take care of Phil ; and it is out of the question 
that you should have another person to look 
after. But I think you must mistake Mrs. 
Watson, Clovy. I know that Mrs. Hall wrote 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN. 


123 


plainly about PhiFs illness, for she showed me 
the letter/' 

^^Just wait till you hear her talk/’ cried 
the exasperated Clover. You will find that 
I did n’t mistake her at all. Oh, why did 
Mrs. Hall interfere? It would all seem so 
easy in comparison — so perfectly easy — if 
only Philly and I were alone together.” 

Katy thought that Clover was fretted and 
disposed to exaggerate ; but after Mrs. Wat- 
son joined them a little later, she changed 
her opinion. The old lady was an inveterate 
talker, and her habit of only half finishing her 
sentences made it difficult to follow the mean- 
derings of her rambling discourse. It turned 
largely on her daughter, Mrs. Phillips, her 
husband, children, house, furniture, habits, 
tastes, and the Phillips connection generally. 

She ’s the only one I ’ve got,” she in- 
formed Mrs. Dayton ; so of course she ’s all- 
important to me. Jane Phillips — that ’s 
Henry’s youngest sister — often says that 
really of all the women she ever knew 
Ellen is the most — And there ’s plenty to 


124 


CLOVER. 


do always, of course, with three children 
and such a large elegant house and company 
coming all the — It ’s lucky that there ’s 
plenty to do with. Henry ’s very liberal. 
He likes to have things nice, so Ellen she — 
Why, when I was packing up to come away he 
brought me that repousse fruit-knife there in 
my bag — Oh, it ’s in my other bag ! Never 
mind ; I ’ll show it to you some other time — 
solid silver, you know. Bigelow and Kennard 
— their things always good, though expensive; 
and my son-in-law he said, ‘You ’re going to a 
fruit country, and — ’ Mrs. Peters does n’t 
think there is so much fruit, though. All sent 
on from California, as I wrote, — and I guess 
Ellen and Henry were surprised to hear it.” 

Katy held serious counsel with herself that 
night as to what she should do about this ex- 
traordinary “ guide, philosopher, and friend ” 
whom the Fates had provided for Clover. 
She saw that her father, from very over-anx- 
iety, had made a mistake, and complicated 
Clover’s inevitable cares with a most unde- 
sirable companion, who would add to rather 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN. 


125 


than relieve them. She could not. decide 
what was best to do; and in fact the time 
was short for doing anything, for the next 
evening would bring them to Denver, and 
poor Clover must be left to face the situa- 
tion by herself as best she might. 

Katy finally concluded to write her father 
plainly how things stood, and beg him to set 
Clover’s mind quite at rest as to any respon- 
sibility for Mrs. Watson, and also to have a 
talk with that lady herself, and explain mat- 
ters as clearly as she could. It seemed all 
that was in her power. 

Next day the party woke to a wonderful 
sense of lightness and exhilaration which no 
one could account for till the conductor told 
them that the apparently level plain over 
which they were speeding was more than four 
thousand feet above the sea. It seemed im- 
possible to believe it. Hour by hour they 
climbed ; but the climb was imperceptible. 
Now four thousand six hundred feet of ele- 
vation was reported, now four thousand eight 
hundred, at last above five thousand ; and still 


126 


CLOVEK. 


there seemed about them nothing but a vast 
expanse of flat levels, — the table-lands of 
Nebraska. There was little that was beau- 
tiful in the landscape, which was principally 
made up of wide reaches of sand, dotted with 
cactus and grease-wood and with the droll 
cone-shaped burrows of the prairie-dogs, who 
could be seen gravely sitting on the roofs 
of their houses, or turning sudden somer- 
saults in at the holes on top as the train 
whizzed by. They passed and repassed long 
links of a broad shallow river which the maps 
showed to be the Platte, and which seemed 
to be made of two-thirds sand to one-third 
water. Now and again mounted horsemen 
appeared in the distance whom Mr. Dayton 
said were cow-boys ; but no cows were 
visible, and the rapidly moving figures were 
neither as picturesque nor as formidable as 
they had expected them to be. 

Flowers were still abundant, and their 
splendid masses gave the charm of color to 
the rather arid landscape. Soon after noon 
dim blue outlines came into view, which 


CAR FORTY-SEYEN. 


127 


grew rapidly bolder and more distinct, and 
revealed themselves as the Rocky Mountains, 
— the backbone of the American Conti- 
nent/’ of which we have all heard so much 
in geographies and the newspapers. It was 
delightful, in spite of dust and glare, to sit 
with that sweep of magnificent air rushing 
into their lungs, and watch the great ranges 
grow and grow and deepen in hue, till they 
seemed close at hand. To Katy they were 
like enchanted land. Somewhere on the 
other side of them, on the dim Pacific coast, 
her husband was waiting for her to come, and 
the wheels seemed to revolve with a regular 
rhythmic beat to the cadence of the old Scotch 
song, — 

“ And will I see his face again; 

And will I hear him speak? 

But to Clover the wheels sang something less 
jubilant, and she studied the mountains on her 
little travelling-map, and measured their dis- 
tance from Burnet with a sigh. They were 
the walls of what seemed to her a sort of 
prison, as she realized that presently she 


128 


CLOVER. 


should be left alone among them, Katy and 
Polly gone, and these new friends whom she 
had learned to like so much, — left alone with 
Phil and, what was worse, with Mrs. Watson ! 
There was a comic side to the latter situation, 
undoubtedly, but at the moment she could 
not enjoy it. 

Katy carried out her intention. She made 
a long call on Mrs. Watson in her section, 
and listened patiently to her bemoanings over 
the noise of the car which had kept her from 
sleeping ; the lady in gray over there ’’ who 
had taken such a long time to dress in the 
morning that she — Mrs. Watson — could 
not get into the toilet-room at the precise 
moment that she wished ; the newspaper boy 
who would not let her just glance over ” 
the Denver Eepublican ” unless she bought 
and paid for it and I only wanted to see the 
Washington news, my dear, and something 
about a tin wedding in East Dedham. My 
mother came from there, and I recognized one 
of the names and — But he took it away 
quite rudely; and when I complained, the 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN. 


129 


conductor would n’t attend to what I — ”) ; 
and the bad piece of beefsteak which had been 
brought for her breakfast at the eating-station. 
Katy soothed and comforted to the best of her 
ability, and then plunged into her subject, 
explaining Phil’s very delicate condition and 
the necessity for constant watchfulness on the 
part of Clover, and saying most distinctly and 
in the plainest of English that Mrs. Watson 
must not expect Clover to take care of her 
too. The old lady was not in the least of- 
fended ; but her replies were so incoherent 
that Katy was not sure that she understood 
the matter any better for the explanation. 

Certainly, my dear, certainly. Your broth- 
er does n’t appear so very sick; but he must be 
looked after, of course. Boys always ought to 
be. I ’ll remind your sister if she seems to be 
forgetting anything. I hope I shall keep well 
myself, so as not to be a worry to her. And 
we can take little excursions together, I dare 
say — Girls always like to go, and of course 
an older person — Oh, no, your brother won’t 
need her so much as you think. He seems 

9 


130 


CLOYEK. 


pretty strong to me, and — You mustn’t 
worry about them, Mrs. W orthing — We shall 
all get on very well, I ’m sure, provided I don’t 
break down, and I guess I sha’n’t, though they 
say almost every one does in this air. Why, 
we shall be as high up as the top of Mount 
Washington.” 

Katy went back to Forty-seven in despair, 
to comfort herself with a long confidential 
chat with Clover in which she exhorted her 
not to let herself be imposed upon. 

‘^Be good to her, and make her as happy 
as you can, but don’t feel bound to wait on 
her, and run her errands. I am sure papa 
would not wish it ; and it will half kill you if 
you attempt it. Phil, till he gets stronger, 
is all you can manage. You not only have 
to nurse him, you know, but to keep him 
happy. It ’s so bad for him to mope. You 
want all your time to read with him, and take 
walks and drives; that is, if there are any 
carriages at St. Helen’s. Don’t let Mrs. 
Watson seize upon you. Clover. I ’m awfully 
afraid that she means to, and I can see that 


CAR FORTY-SEVEN. 


131 


she is a real old woman of the sea. Once she 
gets on your hack you will never be able to 
throw her off/' 

^^She shall not get on my back/’ said Clover, 
straightening her small figure ; ^^but doesn’t it 
^e^mumecessart/ ih^i I should have an old woman 
of the sea to grapple with as well as Phil ? " 

« Provoking things are apt to seem unneces- 
sary, I fancy. You must n’t let yourself get 
worried, dear Clovy. The old lady means 
kindly enough, I think, only she ’s naturally 
tiresome, and has become helpless from habit. 
Be nice to her, but hold your own. Self-pres- 
ervation is the first law of Nature.” 

Just at dusk the train reached Denver, and 
the dreaded moment of parting came. There 
were kisses and tearful good-byes, but not much 
time was allowed for either. The last glimpse 
that Clover had of Katy was as the train moved 
away, when she put her head far out of the win- 
dow of Car Forty-seven to kiss her hand once 
more, and call back, in a tone oracular and 
solemn enough to suit King Charles the First, 
his own admonitory word, " Eemember ! ” 


CHAPTER VI. 


ST. Helen’s. 

in her life had Clover felt so 
. and incompetent and so very, 
young as when the train with 
Car Forty-seven attached vanished from sight, 
and left her on the platform of the Denver 
station with her two companions. There they 
stood, Phil on one side tired and drooping, 
Mrs. Watson on the other blinking anxiously 
about, both evidently depending on her for 
guidance and direction. For one moment a 
sort of pale consternation swept over her. 
Then the sense of the inevitable and the 
nobler sense of responsibility came to her 
aid. She rallied herself; the color returned 
to her cheeks, and she said bravely to Mrs. 
Watson, — 

Now, if you and Phil will just sit down , 
on that settee over there and make yourselves 



ST. Helen’s. 


133 


comfortable, I will find out about the trains 
for St. Helen’s, and where we had better go 
for the night.” 

Mrs. Watson and Phil seated themselves ac- 
cordingly, and Clover stood for a moment 
considering what she should do. Outside was 
a wilderness of tracks up and down which 
trains were puffing, in obedience, doubtless, to 
some law understood by themselves, but which 
looked to the uninitiated like the direst con- 
fusion. Inside the station the scene was 
equally confused. Travellers just arrived and 
just going away were rushing in and out; 
porters and baggage-agents with their hands 
full hurried to and fro. No one seemed at 
leisure to answer a question or even to listen 
to one. 

Just then she caught sight of a shrewd, yet 
good-natured face looking at her from the 
window of the ticket-office ; and without hesi- 
tation she went up to the enclosure. It was 
the ticket-agent whose eye she had caught. 
He was at liberty at the moment, and his 
answers to her inquiries, though brief, were 


134 


CLOVER. 


polite and kind. People generally did soften 
to Clover. There was such an odd and pretty 
contrast between her girlish appealing look 
and her dignified little manner, like a child 
trying to be stately but only succeeding in 
being primly sweet. 

The next train for St. Helen’s left at nine 
in the morning, it seemed, and the ticket- 
agent recommended the Sherman House as a 
hotel where they would be very comfortable 
for the night. 

The omnibus is just outside,’' he said en- 
couragingly. You ’ll find it a first-class 
house, — best there is west of Chicago. From 
the East? Just so. You’ve not seen our 
opera-house yet, I suppose. Denver folks are 
rather proud of it. Biggest in the country 
except the new one in New York. Hope 
you ’ll find time to visit it.” 

I should like to,” said Clover ; but we 
are here for only one night. My brother’s 
been ill, and we are going directly on to St. 
Helen’s. I ’m very much obliged to you.” 

Her look of pretty honest gratitude seemed 


ST. Helen’s. 


135 


to touch the heart of the ticket-man. He 
opened the door of his fastness, and came out 
— actually came out ! — and with a long shrill 
whistle summoned a porter whom he addressed 
as, Here, you Pat,” and bade, ^^Take this 
lady’s things, and put them into the ’bus for 
the Sherman; look sharp now, and see that 
she’s all right.” Then to Clover, — 

You ’ll find it very comfortable at the 
Sherman, Miss, and I hope you’ll have a 
good night. If you ’ll come to me in the 
morning, I ’ll explain about the baggage 
transfer.” 

Clover thanked this obliging being again, 
and rejoined her party, who were patiently 
sitting where she had left them. 

Dear me ! ” said Mrs. Watson as the 
omnibus rolled off, I had no idea that 
Denver was such a large place. Street cars 
too ! Well, I declare ! ” 

And what nice shops ! ” said Clover, 
equally surprised. 

Her ideas had been rather vague as to 
what was to be expected in the close neigh- 


136 


CLOYEK. 


borhood of the Kooky Mountains; but she 
knew that Denver had only existed a few 
years, and was prepared to find everything 
looking rough and unfinished. 

« Why, they have restaurants here and 
jewellers' shops!" she cried. Look, Phil, 
what a nice grocery ! We need n't have 
packed all those oatmeal biscuits if only we 
had known. And electric lights 1 How won- 
derful I But of course St. Helen's is quite 
different." 

Their amazement increased when they 
reached the hotel, and were taken in a large 
dining-room to order dinner from a bill of 
fare which seemed to include every known 
luxury, from Oregon salmon and Lake Supe- 
rior white-fish to frozen sherbets and Califor- 
nia peaches and apricots. But wonderment 
yielded to fatigue, and again as Clover fell 
asleep she was conscious of a deep depression. 
What had she undertaken to do ? How 
could she do it? 

But a night of sound sleep followed by 
such a morning of unclouded brilliance as is 


ST. Helen’s. 


137 


seldom seen east of Colorado banished these 
misgivings. Courage rose under the stimu- 
lus of such air and sunshine. 

I must just live for each day as it comes/’ 
said little Clover to herself, do my best 
as things turn up, keep Phil happy, and sat- 
isfy Mrs. Watson, — if I can, — and not worry 
about to-morrows or yesterdays. That is the 
only safe way, and I won’t forget if I can 
help it.” 

With these wise resolves she ran down 
stairs, looking so blithe and bright that Phil 
cheered at the sight of her, and lost the long 
morning face he had got up with, while even 
Mrs. Watson caught the contagion, and be- 
came fairly hopeful and content. A little 
leaven of good-will and good heart in one 
often avails to lighten the heaviness of many. 

The distance between Denver and St. 
Helen’s is less than a hundred miles, but as 
the railroad has to climb and cross a range 
of hills between two and three thousand feet 
high, the journey occupies several hours. As 
the train gradually rose higher and higher, 


138 


CLOVER. 


the travellers began to get wide views, first 
of the magnificent panorama of mountains 
which lies to the northwest of Denver, sixty 
miles away, with Long’s Peak in the middle, 
and after crossing the crest of the “ Divide,” 
where a blue little lake rimmed with wild- 
flowers sparkled in the sun, of the more south- 
ern ranges. After a while they found them- 
selves running parallel to a mountain chain 
of strange and beautiful forms, green almost 
to the top, and intersected with deep ravines 
and cliffs which the conductor informed them 
were canyons.” They seemed quite near at 
hand, for their bases sank into low rounded 
hills covered with woods, these melted into 
undulating table-lands, and those again into a 
narrow strip of park-like plain across which 
ran the track. Flowers innumerable grew on 
this plain, mixed with grass of a tawny brown- 
green. There were cactuses, red and yellow, 
scarlet and white gillias, tall spikes of yucca 
in full bloom, and masses of a superb white 
poppy with an orange-brown centre, whose 
blue-green foliage was prickly like that of 


ST. Helen’s. 


139 


the thistle. Here and there on the higher 
uplands appeared strange rock shapes of red 
and pink and pale yellow, which looked like 
castles with towers and pinnacles, or like 
primitive fortifications. Clover thought it 
all strangely beautiful, but Mrs. Watson found 
fault with it as queer.” 

‘^It looks unnatural, somehow,” she ob- 
jected ; not a bit like the East. Red never 
was a favorite color of mine. Ellen had a 
magenta bonnet once, and it always wor- 
ried — But Henry liked it, so of course — 
People can’t see things the same way. Now 
the green hat she had winter before last 
was — Don’t you think those mountains are 
dreadfully bright and distinct? I don’t like 
such high-colored rocks. Even the green 
looks red, somehow. I like soft, hazy moun- 
tains like Blue Hill and Wachusett. Ellen 
spent a summer up at Princeton once. It was 
when little Cynthia had diphtheria — she ’s 
named after me, you know, and Henry he 
thought — But I don’t like the staring kind 
like these; and somehow those buildings. 


140 


CLOVER. 


which the conductor says are not buildings 
but rocks, make my flesh creep.” 

They’d be scrumptious places to repel 
attacks of Indians from,” observed Phil; ^Hwo 
or three scouts with breech-loaders up on that 
scarlet wall there could keep off a hundred 
Piutes.” 

I don’t feel that way a bit,” Clover was 
saying to Mrs. Watson. I like the color, 
it ’s so rich ; and I think the mountains are 
perfectly beautiful. If St. Helen’s is like this 
I am going to like it, I know.” 

St. Helen’s, when they reached it, proved 
to be very much like this,” only more so, as 
Phil remarked. The little settlement was 
built on a low plateau facing the mountains, 
and here the plain narrowed, and the beauti- 
ful range, seen through the clear atmosphere, 
seemed only a mile or two away, though in 
reality it was eight or ten. To the east the 
plain widened again into great upland sweeps 
like the Kentish Downs, with here and there 
a belt of black woodland, and here and there 
a line of low bluffs. Viewed from a height, 


ST. HELEN S, 


141 


with the cloud-shadows sweeping across it, it 
had the extent and splendor of the sea, and 
looked very much like it. 

The town, seen from below, seemed a larger 
place than Clover had expected, and again she 
felt the creeping, nervous feeling come over 
her. But before the train had fairly stopped, 
a brisk, active little man jumped on board, 
and walking into the car, began to look about 
him with keen, observant eyes. After one 
sweeping glance, he came straight to where 
Clover was collecting her bags and parcels, 
held out his hand, and said in a pleasant 
voice, I think this must be Miss Carr.’* 

I am Dr. Hope,” he went on ; your 
father telegraphed when you were to leave 
Chicago, and I have come down to two or 
three trains in the hope of meeting you.” 

Have you, indeed? ” said Clover, with a 
rush of relief. “ How very kind of you ! 
And so papa telegraphed ! I never thought 
of that. Phil, here is Dr. Hope, papa’s friend ; 
Dr. Hope, Mrs. Watson.” 

This is really a very agreeable attention, 


142 


CLOVER. 


— your coming to meet us/’ said Mrs. Wat- 
son ; ^^a very agreeable attention indeed. 
Well, I shall write Ellen — that’s my daugh- 
ter, Mrs. Phillips, you know — that before we 
had got out of the cars, a gentleman — And 
though I’ve always been in the habit of going 
about a good deal, it’s always been in the 
East, of course, and things are — What are 
we going to do first. Dr. Hope ? Miss Carr 
has a great deal of energy for a girl, but nat- 
urally — I suppose there ’s an hotel at St. 
Helen’s. Ellen is rather particular where 
I stay. ^At your age. Mother, you must 
be made comfortable, whatever it costs,’ she 
says ; and so I — An only daughter, you 
know — but you ’ll attend to all those things 
for us now. Doctor.” 

There ’s quite a good hotel, ” said Dr. 
Hope, his eyes twinkling a little; I ’ll show it 
to you as we drive up. You’ll find it very 
comfortable if you prefer to go there. But 
for these young people I ’ve taken rooms at a 
boarding-house, a quieter and less expensive 
place. I thought it was what your father 


ST. Helen’s. 


143 


would prefer/’ he added in a lower tone to 
Clover. 

I am sure he would/’ she replied ; but 
Mrs. Watson broke in, — 

Oh, I shall go wherever Miss Carr goes. 
She’s under my care, you know — Though 
at the same time I must say that in the long 
run I have generally found that the most 
expensive places turn out the cheapest. As 
Ellen often says, get the best and — What 
do they charge at this hotel that you speak 
of. Dr. Hope ? 

The Shoshone House ? About twenty- 
five dollars a week, I think, if you make a 
permanent arrangement.” 

That is a good deal,” remarked Mrs. 
Watson, meditatively, while Clover hastened 
to say, — 

It is a great deal more than Phil and I 
can spend. Dr. Hope; I am glad you have 
chosen the other place for us.” 

‘^1 suppose it is better,” admitted Mrs. 
Watson ; but when they gained the top of the 
hill, and a picturesque, many-gabled, many- 


144 


CLOVER. 


balconied structure was pointed out as the 
Shoshone, her regrets returned, and she be- 
gan again to murmur that very often the most 
expensive places turned out the cheapest in 
the end, and that it stood to reason that they 
must be the best. Dr. Hope rather en- 
couraged this view, and proposed that she 
should stop and look at some rooms ; but no, 
she could not desert her young charges and 
would go on, though at the same time she 
must say that her opinion as an older person 
who had seen more of the world was — She 
was used to being consulted. Why, Addy 
Phillips wouldn’t order that crushed straw- 
berry bengaline of hers till Mrs. Watson saw 
the sample, and — But girls had their own 
ideas, and were bound to carry them out, 
Ellen always said so, and for her part she 
knew her duty and meant to do it ! 

Dr. Hope flashed one rapid, comical look at 
Clover. Western life sharpens the wits, if it 
does nothing else, and Westerners as a general 
thing become pretty good judges of charac- 
ter. It had not taken ten minutes for the 


ST. Helen’s. 


145 


keen-witted little doctor to fathom the pecu- 
liarities of Clover’s "chaperone,” and he would 
most willingly have planted her in the con- 
genial soil of the Shoshone House, which 
would have provided a wider field for her rest- 
lessness and self- occupation, and many more 
people to listen to her narratives and sympa- 
thize with her complaints. But it was no 
use. She was resolved to abide by the for- 
tunes of her " young friends.” 

While this discussion was proceeding, the 
carriage had been rolling down a wide street 
running along the edge of the plateau, oppo- 
site the mountain range. Pretty houses 
stood on either side in green, shaded door- 
yards, with roses and vine-hung piazzas and 
nicely-cut grass. 

“ Why, it looks like a New England town,” 
said Clover, amazed ; “ I thought there were 
no trees here.” 

" Yes, I know,” said Dr. Hope smiling. 

You came, like most Eastern people, pre- 
pared to find us sitting in the middle of a 
sandy waste, on cactus pincushions, picking 
10 


146 


CLOYEK. 


our teeth with bowie-knives, and with no 
neighbors but Indians and grizzly bears. 
Well 5 sixteen years ago we could have 
filled the bill pretty well. Then there was 
not a single house in St. Helen’s, — not even 
a tent, and not one of the trees that you see 
here had been planted. Now we have three 
railroads meeting at our depot, a population 
of nearly seven thousand, electric lights, tele- 
phones, a good opera-house, a system of works 
which brings first-rate spring water into the 
town from six miles away, — in short, pretty 
much all the modern conveniences.” 

But what has made the place grow so 
fast ? ” asked Clover. 

If I may be allowed a professional pun, 
it is built up on coughings. It is a town 
for invalids. Half the people here came out 
for the benefit of their lungs.” 

Is n’t that rather depressing ? ” 

It would be more so if most of them did 
not look so well that no one would suspect 
them of being ill. Here we are.” 

Clover looked out eagerly. There was 


ST. Helen’s. 


147 


nothing picturesque about the house at whose 
gate the carriage had stopped. It was a large 
shabby structure, with a piazza above as well 
as below, and on these piazzas various people 
were sitting who looked unmistakably ill. 
The front of the house, however, commanded 
the fine mountain view. 

^^You see,” explained Dr. Hope, drawing 
Clover aside, boarding-places that are both 
comfortable and reasonable are rather scarce at 
St.' Helen’s. I know all about the table here 
and the drainage ; and the view is desirable, 
and Mrs. Marsh, who keeps the house, is one of 
the best women we have. She ’s from down 
your way too, — Barnstable, Mass., I think.’" 

Clover privately wondered how Barnstable, 
Mass., could be classed as down ” the same 
way with Burnet, not having learned as yet 
that to the soaring Western mind that insig- 
nificant fraction of the whole country known 
as the East,” means anywhere from Maine 
to Michigan, and that such trivial geographical 
differences as exist between the different sec- 
tions seem scarcely worth consideration when 


148 


CLOVER. 


compared with the vast spaces which lie be- 
yond toward the setting sun. But perhaps 
Dr. Hope was only trying to tease her, for he 
twinkled amusedly at her puzzled face as he 
went on, — 

I think you can make yourselves comfort- 
able here. It was the best I could do. But 
your old lady would be much better suited at 
the Shoshone, and I wish she’d go there.” 

Clover could not help laughing. I wish 
that people would n’t persist in calling Mrs. 
Watson my old lady,” she thought. 

Mrs. Marsh, a pleasant-looking person, came 
to meet them as they entered. She showed 
Clover and Phil their rooms, which had been 
secured for them, and then carried Mrs. Wat- 
son off to look at another which she could 
have if she liked. 

The rooms were on the third floor. A big 
front one for Phil, with a sunny south window 
and two others looking towards the west and 
the mountains, and, opening from it, a smaller 
room for Clover. 

‘^Your brother ought to live in fresh air 


ST. Helen’s. 


149 


both in doors and out/’ said Dr. Hope ; and 
I thought this large room would answer as a 
sort of sitting place for both of you.” 

It ’s ever so nice ; and we are both more 
obliged to you than ,we can say/’ replied 
Clover, holding out her hand as the doctor 
rose to go. He gave a pleased little laugh as 
he shook it. 

That ’s all right,” he said. I owe your 
father’s children any good turn in my power, 
for he was a good friend to me when I 
was a poor boy just beginning, and needed 
friends. That ’s my house with the red 
roof, Miss Clover. You see how near it is ; 
and please remember that besides the care 
of this boy here, I ’m in charge of you too, 
and have the inside track of the rest of the 
friends you are going to make in Colorado. 
I expect to be called on whenever you want 
anything, or feel lonesome, or are at a loss in 
any way. My wife is coming to see you as 
soon as you have had your dinner and got 
settled a little. She sent those to you,” 
indicating a vase on the table, filled with 


150 


CLOVER. 


flowers. They were of a sort which Clover 
had never seen before, — deep cup-shaped 
blossoms of beautiful pale purple and white. 

Oh, what are they ? ” she called after the 
doctor. 

Anemones,” he answered, and was gone. 

“ What a dear, nice, kind man ! ’’ cried 
Clover. Is n’t it delightful to have a friend 
right off who knows papa, and does things for 
us because we are papa’s children ? You like 
him, don’t you, Phil ; and don’t you like your 
room ? ” 

‘‘Yes; only it does n’t seem fair that I should 
have the largest.” 

“ Oh, yes ; it is perfectly fair. I never shall 
want to be in mine except when I am dress- 
ing or asleep. I shall sit here with you all the 
time ; and is n’t it lovely that we have those 
enchanting mountains just before our eyes? 
I never saw anything in my life that I liked 
so much as I do that one.” 

It was Cheyenne Mountain at which she 
pointed, the last of the chain, and set a little 
apart, as it were, from the others. There is as 


ST. HELEJ^’S. 


151 


much difference between mountains as be- 
tween people, as mountain-lovers know, and 
like people they present characters and in- 
dividualities of their own. The noble lines of 
Mount Cheyenne are full of a strange dignity ; 
but it is dignity mixed with an indefinable 
charm. The canyons nestle about its base, as 
children at a parent’s knee ; its cedar forests 
clothe it like drapery ; it lifts its head to the 
dawn and the sunset; and the sun seems to 
love it best of all, and lies longer on it than 
on the other peaks. 

Clover did not analyze her impressions, but 
she fell in love with it at first sight, and loved 
it better and better all the time that she stayed 
at St. Helen’s. Dr. Hope and Mount Chey- 
enne were our first friends in the place,” she 
used to say in after-days. 

How nice it is to be by ourselves ! ” said 
Phil, as he lay comfortably on the sofa watch- 
ing Clover unpack. I get so tired of being all 
the time with people. Dear me ! the room 
looks quite homelike already.” 

Clover had spread a pretty towel over the 


152 


CLOYER. 


bare table, laid some books and her writing- 
case upon it, and was now pinning up a pho- 
tograph over the mantel-piece. 

‘‘We’ll make it nice by-and-by,” she 
said cheerfully ; “and now that I ’ve tidied 
up a little, I think I ’ll go and see what has 
become of Mrs. Watson. She ’ll think I have 
quite forgotten her. You ’ll lie quiet and rest 
till dinner, won’t you ? ” 

“ Yes,” said Phil, who looked very sleepy ; 
“ I ’m all right for an hour to come. Don’t 
hurry back if the ancient female wants you.” 

Clover spread a shawl over him before she 
went and shut one of the windows. 

“We won’t have you catching cold the 
very first morning,” she said. “ That would 
be a bad story to send back to papa.” 

She found Mrs. Watson in very low spirits 
about her room. 

“ It ’s not that it ’s small,” she said. “ I 
don’t need a very big room ; but I don’t like 
being poked away at the back so. I ’ve 
always had a front room all my life. And 
at Ellen’s in the summer, I have a corner 



tlli/JlilliS 






“Clover spread a shawl over him before she left, and shut one 
of the windows.” — 152. 



ST. Helen’s. 


153 


chamber, and see the sea and everything — 
It ’s an elegant room, solid black walnut with 
marble tops, and — Lighthouses too ; I have 
three of them in view, and they are really 
company for me on dark nights. I don’t want 
to be fussy, but really to look out on noth- 
ing but a side yard with some trees — and 
they are n’t elms or anything that I ’m used 
to, but a new kind. There ’s a thing out 
there, too, that I never saw before, which 
looks like one of the giant ants’ nests of 
Africa in ^ Morse’s Geography ’ that I used to 
read about when I was — It makes me really 
nervous.” 

Clover went to the window to look at the 
mysterious object. It was a cone-shaped thing 
of white unburned clay, whose use she could 
not guess. She found later that it was a 
receptacle for ashes. 

I suppose ^oiir rooms are front ones ? ” 
went on Mrs. Watson, querulously. 

Mine is n’t. It ’s quite a little one at the 
side. I think it must be just under this. 
Phil’s is in front, and is a nice large one with 


154 


CLOYEK. 


a view of the mountains. I wish there were 
one just like it for you. The doctor says that 
it ’s very important for him to have a great 
deal of air in his room.” 

Doctors always say that ; and of course 
Dr. Hope, being a friend of yours and all — 
It ’s quite natural he should give you the pref- 
erence. Though the Phillips’s are accus- 
tomed — but there, it ’s no use ; only, as I 
tell Ellen, Boston is the place for me, where 
my family is known, and people realize what 
I ’m used to.” 

I ’m so sorry,” Clover said again. Per- 
haps somebody will go away, and Mrs. Marsh 
have a front room for you before long.” 

^•She did say that she might. I suppose 
she thinks some of her boarders will be dying 
oJff. In fact, there is one — that tall man in 
gray in the reclining-chair — who did n’t seem 
to me likely to last long. Well, we will hope 
for the best. I ’m not one who likes to make 
difficulties.” 

This prospect, together with dinner, which 
was presently announced, raised Mrs. Watson’s 


ST. Helen’s. 


155 


spirits a little, and Clover left her in the 
parlor, exchanging experiences and discuss- 
ing symptoms with some ladies who had sat 
opposite them at table. Mrs. Hope came for 
a call ; a pretty little woman, as friendly 
and kind as her husband. Then Clover and 
Phil went out for a stroll about the town. 
Their wonder increased at every turn; that 
a place so well equipped and complete in its 
appointments could have been created out of 
nothing in fifteen years was a marvel ! 

After two or three turns they found them- 
selves among shops, whose plate-glass win- 
dows revealed all manner of wares, — confec- 
tionery, new books, pretty glass and china, 
bonnets of the latest fashion. One or two 
large pharmacies glittered with jars — purple 
and otherwise — enough to tempt any num- 
ber of Rosamonds. Handsome carriages drawn 
by fine horses rolled past them, with well- 
dressed people inside. In short, St. Helen’s 
was exactly like a thriving Eastern town of 
double its size, with the difference that here 
a great many more people seemed to ride 


156 


CLOYEE. 


than to drive. Some one cantered past every 
moment, — a lady alone, two or three girls 
together, or a party of rough-looking men in 
long boots, or a single ranchman sitting loose 
in his stirrups, and swinging a stock whip. 

Clover and Phil were standing on a corner, 
looking at some Rocky Mountain Curiosi- 
ties” displayed for sale, — minerals, Pueblo 
pottery, stuffed animals, and Indian blankets ; 
and Phil had just commented on the beauty 
of a black horse which was tied to a post close 
by, when its rider emerged from a shop, and 
prepared to mount. 

He was a rather good-looking young fel- 
low, sunburnt and not very tall, but with a 
lithe active figure, red-brown eyes and a long 
mustache of tawny chestnut. He wore spurs 
and a broad-brimmed sombrero, and carried 
in his hand a whip which seemed two-thirds 
lash. As he put his foot into the stirrup, he 
turned for another look at Clover, whom he 
had rather stared at while passing, and then 
changing his intention, took it out again, and 
came toward them. 


ST. Helen’s. 


157 


I beg your pardon,” he said; ^^but aren’t 
you — is n’t it — Clover Carr ? ” 

. Yes,” said Clover, wondering, but still 
without the least notion as to whom the 
stranger might be. 

You ’ve forgotten me ? ” went on the 
young man, with a smile which made his face 
very bright. That ’s rather hard too ; for I 
knew you at once. I suppose I’m a good 
deal changed, though, and perhaps I should n’t 
have made you out except for your eyes ; 
they ’re just the same. Why, Clover, I ’m 
your cousin, Clarence Page ! ” 

Clarence Page ! ” cried Clover, joyfully ; 
not really ! Why, Clarence, I never should 
have known you in the world, and I can’t 
think how you came to know me. I was 
only fourteen when I saw you last, and you 
were quite a little boy. What good luck 
that we should meet, and on our first day 
too ! Some one wrote that you were in Col- 
orado, but I had no idea that you lived at 
St. Helen’s.” 

I don’t ; not much. I ’m living on a 


158 


CLOVER. 


ranch out that way,” jerking his elbow 
toward the northwest, “ but I ride in often to 
get the mail. Have you just come? You 
said the first day.” 

Yes ; we only got here this morning. 
And this is my brother Phil. Don’t you 
recollect how I used to tell you about him at 
Ashburn ? ” 

I should think you did,” shaking hands 
cordially ; she used to talk about you all the 
time, so that I felt intimately acquainted 
with all the family. Well, I call this first- 
rate luck. It ’s two years since I saw any one 
from home.” 

Home ? ” 

Well; the East, you know. It all seems 
like home when you’re out here. And I 
mean any one that I know, of course. 
People from the East come out all the while. 
They are as thick as bumblebees at St. 
Helen’s, but they don’t amount to much un- 
less you know them. Have you seen any- 
thing of mother and Lilly since they got back 
from Europe, Clover?” 


ST. HELEN S. 


159 


No, indeed. I have n t seen them since 
we left Hillsover. Katy has, though. She 
met them in Nice when she was there, 
and they sent her a wedding present. 
You knew that she was married, didn’t 
you ? ” 

Yes, I got her cards. Pa sent them. He 
writes oftener than the others do ; and he 
came out once and stayed a month on the 
ranch with me. That was wliile mother was 
in Europe. Where are you stopping ? The 
Shoshone, I suppose.” 

No, at a quieter place, — Mrs. Marsh’s, on 
the same street.” 

Oh, I know Mother Marsh. I went there 
when I first came out, and had caught the 
mountain fever, and she was ever so kind to 
me. I ’m glad you are there. She ’s a nice 
woman.” 

How far away is your ranch ? ” 

About sixteen miles. Oh, I say. Clover, 
you and Phil must come out and stay with 
us sometime this summer. We’ll have a 
round-up for you if you will.” 


160 


CLOVER. 


What is a ^ round-up ’ and who is ^ us ’ ? ” 
said Clover, smiling. 

Well, a round-up is a kind of general 
muster of the stock. All the animals are 
driven in and counted, and the young ones 
branded. It ’s pretty exciting sometimes, I 
can tell you, for the cattle get -wild, and 
it 's all we can do to ' manage them. You 
should see some of our boys ride ; it ’s splen- 
did, and there ’s one half-breed that’s the best 
hand with the lasso I ever saw. Phil will like 
it, I know. And ^ us ’ is me and my partner.” 

Have you a partner ? ” 

Yes, two, in fact; but one of them lives in 
New Mexico just now, so he does not count. 
That’s Bert Talcott. He’s a New York fel- 
low. The other ’s English, a Devonshire man. 
Geoff Templestowe is his name.” 

Is he nice ? ” 

You can just bet your pile that he is,” 
said Clarence, who seemed to have assimi- 
lated Western slang with the rest of the West. 
‘^Wait till I bring him to see you. We’ll 
come in on purpose some day soon. Well, I 


ST. Helen’s. 


161 


must be going. Good-by, Clover ; good-by, 
Phil. It’s awfully jolly to have you here.” 

I never should have guessed who it was,” 
remarked Clover, as they watched the active 
figure canter down the street and turn for a 
last flourish of the hat. He was the rough- 
est, scrubbiest boy when we last met. What 
a fine-looking fellow he has grown to be, and 
how well he rides ! ” 

No wonder ; a fellow who can have a 
horse whenever he has a mind to,” said Phil, 
enviously. ' Life on a ranch must be great 
fun, I think.” 

^^Yes; in one way, but pretty rough and 
lonely too, sometimes. It will be nice to go 
out and see Clarence’s, if we can get some 
lady to go with us, won’t it ? ” 

Well, just don’t let it be Mrs. Watson, 
whoever else it is. She would spoil it all if 
she went.” 

^^Now, Philly, don’t. We’re supposed to 
be leaning on her for support.” 

Oh, come now, lean on that old thing ! 
Why she could n’t support a postage stamp 
11 


162 


CLOVER. 


standing edgewise, as the man says in the 
play. Do you suppose I don’t know how you 
have to look out for her and do everything ? 
She ’s not a bit of use.” 

Yes ; but you and I have got to be 
polite to her, Philly. We mustn’t forget 
that.” 

^^Oh, I ’ll be polite enough, if she will just 
leave us alone,” retorted Phil. 

Promising ! 


CHAPTER YII. 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 



HIL was better than his word. He 
was never uncivil to Mrs. Watson, 
and his distant manners, which really 
signified distaste, were set down by that lady 
to boyish shyness. 

They often are like that when they are 
young,’' she told Clover: but they get bravely 
over it after a while. He '11 outgrow it, dear, 
and you must n’t let it worry you a bit.” 

Meanwhile, Mrs. Watson’s own flow of 
conversation was so ample that there was 
never any danger of awkward silences when 
she was present, which was a comfort. She 
had taken Clover into high favor now, and 
Clover deserved it, — for though she protected 
herself against encroachments, and resolutely 
kept the greater part of her time free for 


164 


CLOVER. 


Phil, she was always considerate, and sweet 
in manner to the older lady, and she found 
spare half-hours every day in which to sit and 
go out with her, so that she should not feel 
neglected. Mrs. Watson grew quite fond of 
her young friend,” though she stood a little 
in awe of her too, and was disposed to be 
jealous if any one showed more attention to 
Clover than to herself. 

An early outburst of this feeling came on 
the third day after their arrival, when Mrs. 
Hope asked Phil and Clover to dinner, and 
did not ask Mrs. Watson. She had discussed 
the point with her husband, but the doctor 
jumped on ” the idea forcibly, and protested 
that if that old thing was to come too, he 
would have a consultation in Pueblo, and be 
off in the five thirty train, sure as fate.” 

It ’s not that I care,” Mrs. Watson assured 
Clover plaintively. “ I ’ve had so much done 
for me all my life that of course — But I 
do like to be properly treated. It is n’t as if 
I were just anybody. I don’t suppose Mrs. 
Hope knows much about Boston society any- 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 


165 


way, but still — And I should think a girl 
from South Framingham (did n't you say she 
was from South Framingham?) would at least 
know who the Abraham Peabodys are, and 
they 're Henry’s — But I don't imagine she 
was much of anybody before she was married ; 
and out here it 's all hail fellow and well met, 
they say, though in that case I don't see — 
Well, well, it 's no matter, only it seems queer 
to me ; and I think you 'd better drop a hint 
about it when you 're there, and just explain 
that my daughter lives next door to the Lieu- 
tenant-Governor when she is in the country, 
and opposite the Assistant-Bishop in town, 
and has one of the Harvard Overseers for a 
near neighbor, and is distantly related to the 
Keveres ! You 'd think even a South Fra- 
mingham girl must know about the lantern 
and the Old South, and how much they 've 
always been respected at home." 

Clover pacified her as well as she could, by 
assurances that it was not a dinner-party, and 
they were only asked to meet one girl whom 
Mrs. Hope wanted her to know. 


166 


CLOVER. 


If it were a large affair, I am sure you 
would have been asked too/’ she said, and 
so left her old woman of the sea ” partly 
consoled. 

It was the most lovely evening possible, as 
Clover and Phil walked down the street toward 
Dr. Hope’s. Soft shadows lay over the lower 
spurs of the ranges. The canyons looked black 
and deep, but the peaks still glittered in rosy 
light. The mesa was in shadow, but the 
nearer plain lay in full sunshine, hot and 
yellow, and the west wind was full of moun- 
tain fragrance. 

Phil gave little skips as he went along. 
Already he seemed like a different boy. All 
the droop and languor had gone, and given 
place to an exhilaration which half frightened 
Clover, who had constant trouble in keeping 
him from doing things which she knew to be 
imprudent. Dr. Hope had warned her that 
invalids often harmed themselves by over- 
exertion under the first stimulus of the high 
air. 

Why, how queer ! ” she exclaimed, stop- 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 167 

ping suddenly before one of the pretty places 
just above Mrs. Marsh’s boarding-house. 

What ? ” 

Don’t you see ? That yard ! When we 
came by here yesterday it was all green grass 
and rose-bushes, and girls were playing cro- 
quet; and now, look, it’s a pond ! ” 

Sure enough ! There were the rose-bushes 
still, and the croquet arches ; but they were 
standing, so to speak, up to their knees in 
pools of water, which seemed several inches 
deep, and covered the whole place, with the 
exception of the flagged walks which ran 
from the gates to the front and side doors of 
the house. Clover noticed now, for the first 
time, that these walks were several inches 
higher than the grass-beds on either side. 
She wondered if they were made so on pur- 
pose, and resolved to notice if the next place 
had the same arrangement. 

But as they reached the next place and the 
next, lo ! the phenomenon was repeated and 
Dr. Hope’s lawn too was in the same condi- 
ticm, — everything was overlaid with water. 


168 


CLOVER. 


They began to suspect what it must mean, 
and Mrs. Hope confirmed the suspicion. It 
was irrigation day in Mountain Avenue, it 
seemed. Every street in the town had its 
appointed period when the invaluable water, 
brought from a long distance for the pur- 
pose, was laid on ” and kept at a certain 
depth for a prescribed number of hours. 

“We owe our grass and shrubs and flower- 
beds entirely to this arrangement,” Mrs. Hope 
told them. “ Nothing could live through our 
dry summers if we did not have the irrigating 
system.” 

“ Are the summers so dry ? ” asked Clover. 
“ It seems to me that we have had a thunder- 
storm almost every day since we came.” 

“We do have a good many thunder- 
storms,” Mrs. Hope admitted ; “ but we can’t 
depend on them for the gardens.” 

“ And did you ever hear such magnificent 
thunder ? ” asked Dr. Hope. “ Colorado 
thunder beats the world.” 

“ Wait till you see our magnificent Colora- 
do hail,” put in Mrs. Hope, wickedly. “ That 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 169 

beats the world, too. It cuts our flowers to 
pieces, and sometimes kills the sheep on the 
plains. We are very proud of it. The doc- 
tor thinks everything in Colorado perfection.^’ 
I have always pitied places which had to 
be irrigated,” remarked Clover, with her eyes 
fixed on the little twin-lakes which yesterday 
were lawns. But I begin to think I was 
mistaken. It’s very superior, of course, to 
have rains ; but then at the East we sometimes 
don’t have rain when we want it, and the 
grass gets dreadfully yellow. Don’t you re- 
member, Phil, how hard Katy and I worked 
last summer to keep the geraniums and 
fuschias alive in that long drought ? Now, if 
we had had water like this to come once a 
week, and make a nice deep pond for us, how 
different it would have been ! ” 

Oh, you must come out West for real 
comfort,” said Dr. Hope. The East is a 
dreadfully one-horse little place, anyhow.” 

But you don’t mean New York and Bos- 
ton when you say ^ one-horse little place,’ 
surely ? ” 


170 


CLOVER. 


Don’t I ? ” said the undaunted doctor. 

Wait till you see more of us out here.” 

Here ’s Poppy, at last,” cried Mrs. Hope, 
as a girl came hurriedly up the walk. 

You ’re late, dear.” 

Poppy,” whose real name was Marian 
Chase, was the girl who had been asked to 
meet them. She was a tall, rosy creature, to 
whom Clover took an instant fancy, and 
seemed in perfect health ; yet she told them 
that when she came out to Colorado three 
years before, she had travelled on a mat- 
tress, with a doctor and a trained nurse in 
attendance. 

^^Your brother will be as strong, or stronger 
than I at the end of a year,” she said ; or 
if he doesn’t get well as fast as he ought, you 
must take him up to the Ute Valley. That ’s 
where I made my first gain.” 

Where is the valley ? ” 

Thirty miles away to the northwest, — up 
there among the mountains. It is a great 
deal higher than this, and such a lovely 
peaceful place. I hope you’ll go there.” 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 


171 


We shall, of course, if Phil needs it ; but I 
like St. Helen’s so much that I would rather 
stay here if we can.” 

Dinner was now announced, and Mrs. Hope 
led the way into a pretty room hung with 
engravings and old plates after the mod- 
ern fashion, where a white-spread table stood 
decorated with wild-flowers, candle-sticks with 
little red-shaded tapers, and a pyramid of 
plums and apricots. There was the usual suc- 
cession of soup and fish and roast and salad 
which one looks for at a dinner on the sea- 
level, winding up with ice-cream of a highly 
civilized description, but Clover could scarcely 
eat for wondering how all these things had 
come there so soon, so very soon. It seemed 
like magic, — one minute the solemn peaks 
and passes, the prairie-dogs and the thorny 
plain, the next all these portieres and rugs 
and etchings and down pillows and pretty de- 
vices in glass and china, as if some enchanter’s 
wand had tapped the wilderness, and hey, 
presto ! modern civilization had sprung up 
like Jonah’s gourd all in a minute, or like the 


172 


CLOYEE. 


palace which Aladdin summoned into being 
in a single night for the occupation of the 
Princess of China, by the rubbing of his won- 
derful lamp. And then, just as the fruit- 
plates were put on the table, came a call, and 
the doctor was out in the hall, holloing ’’ and 
conducting with some distant patient one of 
those mysterious telephonic conversations 
which to those who overhear seem all re- 
plies and no questions. It was most remark- 
able, and quite, unlike her preconceived ideas 
of what was likely to take place at the base 
of the Eocky Mountains. 

A pleasant evening followed. Poppy 
played delightfully on the piano ; later came 
a rubber of whist. It was like home. 

Before these children go, let us settle about 
the drive,’' said Dr. Hope to his wife. 

Oh, yes ! Miss Carr — ” 

Oh, please, won’t you call me Clover ? ” 

“ Indeed I will, — Clover, then, — we want 
to take you for a good long drive to-morrow, 
and show you something ; but the trouble is, 
the doctor and I are at variance as to what 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 173 

the something shall be. I want you to see 
Odin's Garden ; and the doctor insists that you 
ought to go to the Cheyenne canyons first, 
because those are his favorites. Now, which 
shall it be? We will leave it to you." 

Bat how can I choose ? I don't know 
either of them. What a queer name, — Odin’s 
Garden ! " 

'll tell you how to settle it," cried Mar- 
ian Chase, whose nickname it seemed had 
been given her because when she first came 
to St. Helen's she wore a bunch of poppies in 
her hat. ^^Take them to Cheyenne to-mor- 
row; and the next day — or Thursday — let 
me get up a picnic for Odin's Garden ; just a 
few of our special cronies, — the Allans and 
the Blanchards and Mary Pelham and Will 
Amory. Will you, dear Mrs. Hope, and be 
our matron ? That would be lovely." 

Mrs. Hope consented, and Clover walked 
home as if treading on air. Was this the 
St. Helen’s to which she had looked forward 
with so much dread, — this gay, delightful 
place, where such pleasant things happened. 


174 


CLOYER. 


and people were so kind ? How she wished 
that she could get at Katy and papa for five 
minutes — on a wishing carpet or something 
— to tell them how different everything was 
from what she had expected. 

One thing only marred her anticipations 
for the morrow, which was the fear that Mrs. 
Watson might be hurt, and make a scene. 
Happily, Mrs. Hope’s thoughts took the same 
direction ; and by some occult process of in- 
fluence, the use of which good wives under- 
stand, she prevailed on her refractory doctor 
to allow the old lady to be asked to join the 
party. 

So early next morning came a very polite 
note ; and it was proposed that Phil should 
ride the doctor’s horse, and act as escort to 
Miss Chase, who was to go on horseback like- 
wise. No proposal could have been more 
agreeable to Phil, who adored horses, and sel- 
dom had the chance to mount one ; so every 
one was pleased, and Mrs. Watson preened her 
ancestral feathers with great satisfaction. 

‘‘ You see, dear, how well it was to give 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 175 

that little hint about the Eeveres and the 
Abraham Peabodys/’ she said. Clover felt 
dreadfully dishonest ; but she dared not con- 
fess that she had forgotten all about the hint, 
still less that she had never meant to give 
one. The better part of valor is discretion/’ 
she remembered ; so she held her peace, 
though her cheeks glowed guiltily. 

At three o’clock they set forth in a light 
roomy carriage, — not exactly a carryall, but 
of the carryall family, — with a pair of fast 
horses. Miss Chase and Phil cantering happily 
alongside, or before or behind, just as it hap- 
pened. The sun was very hot ; but there was 
a delicious breeze, and the dryness and elas- 
ticity of the air made the heat easy to bear. 

The way lay across and down the southern 
slope of the plateau on which the town was 
built. Then they came to splendid fields of 
grain and “afalfa,” — a cereal quite new to 
them, with broad, very green leaves. The 
roadside was gay with flowers, — gillias and 
mountain balm ; high pink and purple spikes, 
like foxgloves, which they were told were 


176 


CLOYEE. 


pentstemons ; painters’ brush, whose green 
tips seemed dipped in liquid vermilion, and 
masses of the splendid wild poppies. They 
crossed a foaming little river ; and a sharp 
turn brought them into a narrower and wilder 
road, which ran straight toward the mountain 
side. This was overhung by trees, whose 
shade was grateful after the hot sun. 

Narrower and narrower grew the road, 
more and more sharp the turns. They were 
at the entrance of a deep defile, up which the 
road wound and wound, following the links of 
the river, which they crossed and recrossed 
repeatedly. Such a wonderful and perfect 
little river, with water clear as air and cold 
as ice, flowing over a bed of smooth granite, 
here slipping noiselessly down long slopes of 
rock like thin films of glass, there deepen- 
ing into pools of translucent blue-green like 
aqua-marine or beryl, again plunging down 
in mimic waterfalls, a sheet of iridescent foam. 
The sound of its rush and its ripple was like 
a laugh. Never was such happy water. Clo- 
ver thought, as it curved and bent and swayed 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 177 

this way and that on its downward course as 
if moved by some merry, capricious instinct, 
like a child dancing as it goes. Regiments 
of great ferns grew along its banks, and im- 
mense thickets of wild roses of all shades, 
from deep Jacqueminot red to pale blush- 
white. Here and there rose a lonely spike of 
yucca, and in the little ravines to right and 
left grew in the crevices of the rocks clumps of 
superb straw-colored columbines four feet high. 

Looking up. Clover saw above the tree-tops 
strange pinnacles and spires and obelisks 
which seemed air-hung, of purple-red and 
orange-tawny and pale pinkish gray and terra 
cotta, in which the sunshine and the cloud- 
shadows broke in a multiplicity of wonderful 
half-tints. Above them was the dazzling blue 
of the Colorado sky. She drew a long, long 
breath. 

So this is a canyon,’' she said. ^^How 
glad I am that I have lived to see one.” 

Yes, this is a canyon,” Dr. Hope replied. 

Some of us think it the canyon ; but there 
are dozens of others, and no two of them are 
12 


178 


CLOVER. 


alike. I ’m glad you are pleased with this, 
for it ’s my favorite. I wish your father could 
see it.” 

Clover hardly understood what he said she 
was so fascinated and absorbed. She looked 
up at the bright pinnacles, down at the flow- 
ers and the sheen of the river-pools and the 
mad rush of its cascades, and felt as though she 
w^ere in a dream. Through the dream she 
caught half-comprehended fragments of con- 
versation from the seat behind. Mrs. Watson 
was giving her impressions of the scenery. 

It ’s pretty, I suppose,” she remarked ; 
but it ’s so very queer, and I ’m not used to 
queer things. And this road is frightfully 
narrow. If a load of hay or a big Concord 
coach should come along, I can’t think what 
we should do. I see that Dr. Hope drives 
carefully, but yet — You don’t think we 
shall meet anything of the kind to-day, do 
you. Doctor?” 

Not a Concord coach, and certainly not a 
hay-wagon, for they don’t make hay up here 
in the mountains.” 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 179 

Well, that is a relief. I did n’t know. 
Ellen she always says, ^ Mother, you ’re a 
real fidget ; ’ but when one grows old, and has 
valves in the heart as I have, you never — 
We might meet one of those big pedler’s wag- 
ons, though, and they frighten horses worse 
than anything. Oh, what ’s that coming 
now ? Let us get out. Dr. Hope ; pray, 
let us all get out.” 

Sit still, ma’am,” said the doctor, sternly, 
for Mrs. Watson was wildly fumbling at the 
fastening of the door. Mary, put your arm 
round Mrs. Watson, and hold her tight. 
There ’ll be a real accident, sure as fate, if 
you don’t.” Then in a gentler tone, “ It ’s 
only a buggy, ma’am ; there ’s plenty of room. 
There ’s no possible risk of a pedler’s wagon. 
What on earth should a pedler be doing up 
here on the side of Cheyenne ! Prairie-dogs 
don’t use pomatum or tin-ware.” 

Oh, I did n’t know,” repeated poor Mrs. 
Watson, nervously. She watched the buggy 
timorously till it was safely past; then her 
spirits revived. 


180 


CLOVER. 


she cried, ^^we’re safe this time; 
but I call it tempting Providence to drive so 
fast on such a rough road. If all canyons 
are as wild as this, I sha’n’t ever venture to 
go into another.’’ 

Bless me ! this is one of our mildest spe- 
cimens,” said Dr. Hope, who seemed to have 
a perverse desire to give Mrs. Watson a dis- 
taste for canyons. This is a smooth one ; 
but some canyons are really rough. Do you 
remember, Mary, the day we got stuck up at 
the top of the Westmoreland, and had to un- 
hitch the horses, and how I stood in the middle 
of the creek and yanked the carriage round 
while you held them ? That was the day we 
heard the mountain lion, and there were fresh 
bear-tracks all over the mud, you remember.” 

Good gracious ! ” cried Mrs. Watson, quite 
pale ; ‘‘ what an awful place ! Bears and lions ! 
What on earth did you go there for ? ” 

Oh, purely for pleasure,” replied the doc- 
tor, lightly. We don’t mind such little mat- 
ters out West. We try to accustom ourselves , 
to wild beasts, and make friends of them.” 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 181 

^^John, don’t talk such nonsense,” cried 
his wife, quite angrily. Mrs. Watson, you 
must n’t believe a word the doctor says. 
1 ’ve lived in Colorado nine years ; and I ’ve 
never once seen a mountain lion, or a bear 
either, except the stuffed ones in the shops. 
Don’t let the doctor frighten you.” 

But Dr. Hope’s wicked work was done. 
Mrs. Watson, quite unconvinced by these 
well-meant assurances, sat pale and awe- 
struck, repeating under her breath, — 

Dreadfql ! What will Ellen say ? Bears 
and lions ! Oh, dear me ! ” 

Look, look ! ” cried Clover, who had not 
listened to a word of this conversation ; did 
you ever see anything so lovely ? ” She re- 
ferred to what she was looking at, — a small 
point of pale straw-colored rock some hun- 
dreds of feet in height, which a turn in the 
road had just revealed, soaring above the 
tops of the trees. 

“ I don’t see that it ’s lovely at all,” said 
Mrs. Watson, testily. It ’s unnatural, if 
that ’s what you mean. Rocks ought not to 


182 


CLOVER. 


be that color. They never are at the East. 
It- looks to me exactly like an enormous 
unripe banana standing on end.’" 

This simile nearly finished ” the party. 
^^It’s big enough to disagree with all the 
Sunday-schools in creation at once,” re- 
marked the doctor, between his shouts, while 
even Clover shook with laughter. Mrs. Wat- 
son felt that she had made a hit, and grew 
complacent again. 

See what your brother picked for me,” 
cried Poppy, riding alongside, an^ exhibiting 
a great sheaf of columbine tied to the pommel 
of her saddle. ^^And how do you like North 
Cheyenne ? Is n’t it an exquisite place ? ” 

Perfectly lovely ; I feel as if I must come 
here every day.” 

Yes, I know ; but there are so many 
other places out here about which you have 
that feeling.” 

Now we will show you the other Chey- 
enne Canyon, — the twin of this,” said Dr. 
Hope ; “ but you must prepare your mind 
to find it entirely different.” 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 183 

After rather a rough mile or two through 
woods, they came to a wooden shed, or 
shanty, at the mouth of a gorge, and here 
Dr. Hope drew up his horses, and helped 
them all out. 

Is it much of a walk ? ” asked Mrs. 
Watson. 

It is rather long and rather steep,” said 
Mrs. Hope ; but it is lovely if you only go 
a little way in, and you and I will , sit down 
the moment you feel tired, and let the others 
go forward.” 

South Cheyenne Canyon was indeed en- 
tirely different.” Instead of a green-floored, 
vine-hung ravine, it is a wild mountain gorge, 
walled with precipitous cliffs of great height ; 
and its river — every canyon has a river — 
comes from a source at the top of the gorge 
in a series of mad leaps, forming seven water- 
falls, which plunge into circular basins of 
rock, worn smooth by the action of the 
stream. These pools are curiously various 
in shape, and the color of the water, as it 
pauses a moment to rest in each before tak- 


184 


CLOVEK. 


ing its next plunge, is beautiful. Little plank 
walks are laid along the river-side, and rude 
staircases for the steepest pitches. Up these 
the party went, leaving Mrs. Watson and 
Mrs. Hope far behind, — Poppy with her habit 
over her arm. Clover stopping every other 
moment to pick some new flower, Phil shying 
stones into the rapids as he passed, — till the 
top of the topmost cascade was reached, and 
looking back they could see the whole won- 
derful way by which they had climbed, and 
down which the river made its turbulent 
rush. Clover gathered a great mat of green 
scarlet-berried vine like glorified cranberry, 
which Dr. Hope told her was the famous 
kinnikinnick, and was just remarking on the 
cool water-sounds which filled the place, when 
all of a sudden these sounds seemed to grow 
angry, the defile of precipices turned a frown- 
ing blue, and looking up they saw a great 
thunder-cloud gathering overhead. 

"We must run,” cried Dr. Hope, and down 
they flew, racing at full speed along the long 
flights of steps and the plank walks, which 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 185 

echoed to the sound of their flying feet. Far 
below they could see two fast-moving specks 
which they guessed to be Mrs. Hope and 
Mrs. Watson, hurrying to a place of shelter. 
Nearer and nearer came the storm, louder 
the growl of the thunder, and great hail- 
stones pattered on their heads before they 
gained the cabin ; none too soon, for in an- 
other moment the cloud broke, and the air 
was full of a dizzy whirl of sleet and rain. 

Others besides themselves had been sur- 
prised in the ravine, and every few minutes 
another and another wet figure would come 
flying down the path, so that the little refuge 
was soon full. The storm lasted half an hour, 
then it scattered as rapidly as it had come, the 
sun broke out brilliantly, and the drive home 
would have been delightful if it had not been 
for the sad fact that Mrs. Watson had left her 
parasol in the carriage, and it had been wet, 
and somewhat stained by the india-rubber 
blanket which had been thrown over it for 
protection. Her lamentations were pathetic. 

Jane Phillips gave it to me, — she was a 


186 


CLOVER. 


Sampson, you know, — and I thought ever so 
much of it. It was at Hovey’s — We were 
there together, and I admired it; and she said, 
^ Mrs. Watson, you must let me — ' Six dol- 
lars was the price of it. That ’s a good deal 
for a parasol, you know, unless it ’s really a 
nice one; but Hovey’s things are always — I 
had the handle shortened a little just before 
I came away, too, so that it would go into my 
trunk ; it had to be mended anyhow, so that 
it seemed a good — Dear, dear ! and now 
it ’s spoiled ! What a pity I left it in the 
carriage ! I shall know better another time, 
but this climate is so different. It never rains 
in this way at home. It takes a little while 
about it, and gives notice ; and we say that 
there ’s going to be a northeaster, or that it 
looks like a thunder-storm, and we put on our 
second-best clothes or we stay at home. It ’s 
a great deal nicer, I think.” 

“ I am so sorry,” said kind little Mrs. 
Hope. Our storms out here do come up 
very suddenly. I wish I had noticed that 
you had left your parasol. Well, Clover, 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 187 

you Ve had a chance now to see the doctor’s 
beautiful Colorado hail and thunder to per- 
fection. How do you like them ? ” 

I like everything in Colorado, I believe,” 
replied Clover, laughing. I won’t even 
except the hail.” 

She ’s the girl for this part of the world,” 
cried Dr. Hope, approvingly. She ’d make a 
first-rate pioneer. We ’ll keep her out here, 
Mary, and never let her go home. She was 
born to live at the West.” 

Was I ? It seems queer then that I should 
have been born to live in Burnet.” 

Oh, we ’ll change all that.” 

“ I ’m sure I don’t see how.” 

There are ways and means,” oracularly. 

Mrs. Watson was so cast down by the misad- 
venture to her parasol that she expressed no 
regret at not being asked to join in the picnic 
next day, especially as she understood that it 
consisted of young people. Mrs. Hope very 
rightly decided that a whole day out of doors, 
in a rough place, would give pain rather than 
pleasure to a person who was both so feeble 


188 


CLOVER. 


and so fussy, and did not suggest her going. 
Clover and Phil waked up quite fresh and un- 
tired after a sound night’s sleep. There seemed 
no limit to what might be done and enjoyed 
in that inexhaustibly renovating air. 

Odin’s Garden proved to be a wonderful 
assemblage of rocky shapes rising from the 
grass and flowers of a lonely little plain on 
the far side of the m^sa, four or five miles 
from St. Helen’s. The name of the place came 
probably from something suggestive in the 
forms of the rocks, which reminded Clover of 
pictures she had seen of Assyrian and Egyp- 
tian rock carvings. There were lion shapes 
and bull shapes like the rudely chiselled gods 
of some heathen worship ; there were slender 
points and obelisks three hundred feet high ; 
and something suggesting a cat-faced deity, 
and queer similitudes of crocodiles and apes, 
— all in the strange orange and red and pale 
yellow formations of the region. It was a 
wonderful rather than a beautiful place ; but 
the day was spent very happily under those 
mysterious stones, which, as the long after- 


MAKING ACQUAINTANCE. 189 

noon shadows gathered over the plain, and the 
sky glowed with sunset crimson which seemed 
like a reflection from the rocks themselves, be- 
came more mysterious still. Of the merry 
young party which made up the picnic, seven 
out of nine had come to Colorado for health ; 
but no one would have guessed it, they seemed 
so well and so full of the enjoyment of life. 
Altogether, it was a day to be marked ; not with 
a white stone, — that would not have seemed 
appropriate to Colorado, — but with a red one. 
Clover, writing about it afterward to Elsie, felt 
that her descriptions to sober stay-at-homes 
might easily sound overdrawn and exaggerated, 
and wound up her letter thus : — 

“ Perhaps you think that I am romancing ; but 
I am not a bit. Every word I say is perfectly true, 
only I have not made the colors half bright or the 
things half beautiful enough. Colorado is the most 
beautiful place in the world. [N. B. — Clover had 
seen but a limited portion of the world so far.] 
I only wish you could all come out to observe for 
yourselves that I am not fibbing, though it sounds 
like it I ’’ 


CHAPTER YIII. 


HIGH YALLEY. 

LOVER was putting Phil’s chamber 
to rights, and turning it into a sit- 
ting-room for the day, which was 
always her first task in the morning. They 
had been at St. Helen’s nearly three weeks 
now, and the place had taken on a very home- 
like appearance. All the books and the pho- 
tographs were unpacked, the washstand had 
vanished behind a screen made of a three- 
leaved clothes-frame draped with chintz, w^hile 
a ruffled cover of the same gay chintz, on 
which bunches of crimson and pink geraniums 
straggled over a cream-colored ground, gave 
to the narrow bed the air of a respectable 
wide sofa. 

There ! those look very nice, I think,” 
she said, giving the last touch to a bowl full 




HIGH VALLEY. 


191 


of beautiful garden roses. How sweet they 
are ! ’’ 

Your young man seems rather clever 
about roses/’ remarked Phil, who, boy-like, 
dearly loved to tease his sister. 

^^My young man, as you call him, has a 
father with a gardener,” replied Clover, 
calmly ; no very brilliant cleverness is 
required for that.” 

In a cordial, kindly place, like St. Helen’s, 
people soon make acquaintances, and Clover 
and Phil felt as if they already knew half the 
people in the town. Every one had come to 
see them and deluged them with flowers, and 
invitations to dine, to drive, to take tea. 
Among the rest came Mr. Thurber Wade, 
whom Phil was pleased to call Clover’s young 
man, — the son of a rich New York banker, 
whose ill-health had brought him to live in 
St. Helen’s, and who had built a handsome 
house on the principal street. This gilded 
youth had several times sent roses to Clover, 
— a fact which Phil had noticed, and upon 
which he was fond of commenting. 


192 


CLOYEK. 


Speaking of young men/’ went on Clover, 
what do you suppose has become of Clarence 
Page ? He said he should come in to see us 
soon ; but that was ever so long ago.” 

^^He’s a fraud, I suspect,” replied Phil, 
lazily, from his seat in the window. He had 
a geometry on his knees, and was supposed to 
be going on with his education, but in reality 
he was looking at the mountains. I suppose 
people are pretty busy on ranches, though,” he 
added. Perhaps they ’re sheep-shearing.” 

Oh, it is n’t a sheep ranch. Don’t you 
remember his saying that the cattle got very 
wild, and they had to ride after them ? They 
would n’t ride after sheep. I hope he has n’t 
forgotten about us. I was so glad to see him.” 

While this talk went on, Clarence was can- 
tering down the lower end of the Ute Pass 
on his way to St. Helen’s. Three hours later 
his name was brought up to them. 

“ How nice ! ” cried Clover. I think as 
he ’s a relative we might let him come 
here, Phil. It’s so much pleasanter than 
the parlor.” 


HIGH VALLEY. 


193 


Clarence, who had passed the interval of 
waiting in noting the different varieties of 
cough among the sick people in the parlor, 
was quite of her opinion. 

How jolly you look ! ” was almost his 
first remark. I ’m glad you Ve got a little 
place of your own, and don’t have to sit 
with those poor creatures downstairs all the 
time.” 

It is much nicer. Some of them are get- 
ting better, though.” 

Some of them are n’t. There ’s one 
poor fellow in a reclining-chair who looks 
badly.” 

That’s the one whose room Mrs. Watson 
has marked for her own. She asks him 
three times a day how he feels, with all the 
solicitude of a mother,” said Phil. 

Who ’s Mrs. Watson ? ” 

Well, she’s an old lady who is somehow 
fastened to us, and who considers herself 
our chaperone,” replied Clover, with a little 
laugh. must introduce you by-and-by, 
but first we want a good talk all by our- 

13 


194 


CLOVER. 


selves. Now tell us why you have n’t come 
to see us before. We have been hoping for 
you every day.’* 

Well, I ’ve wanted to come badly enough, 
but there has been a combination of hin- 
drances. Two of our men got sick, so there 
was more to do than usual ; then Geoff had 
to be away four days, and almost as soon as 
he got back he had bad news from home, and 
I hated to leave him alone.” 

What sort of bad news ? ” 

His sister ’s dead.” 

“ Poor fellow ! In England too ! You said 
he was English, did n’t you ? ” 

“Yes. She was married. Her husband 
was a clergyman down in Cornwall some- 
where. She was older than Geoff a good 
deal ; but he was very fond of her, and the 
news cut him up dreadfully.” 

“No wonder. It is horrible to hear such 
a thing when one is far from home,” observed 
Clover. She tried to realize how she should 
feel if word came to St. Helen’s of Katy’s 
death, or Elsie’s, or Johnnie’s ; but her mind 


HIGH VALLEY. 195 

refused to accept the question. . The very 
idea made her shiver. 

Poor fellow ! ’’ she said again ; what 
could you do for him, Clarence ? 

“ Not much. I ’m a poor hand at comfort- 
ing any one, men generally are, I guess. 
Geoff knows I ’m sorry for him ; but it takes 
a woman to say the right thing at such times. 
We sit and smoke when the work’s done, and 
I know what he ’s thinking about ; but we 
don’t say anything to each other. Now let ’s 
speak of something else. I want to settle 
about your coming to High Yalley.” 

^^High Yalley? Is that the name of your 
place?” 

Yes. I want you to see it. It ’s an 
awfully pretty place to my thinking, — not 
so very much higher than this, but you have 
to climb a good de^ to get there. Can’t you 
come ? This is just the time, — raspberries 
ripe, and lots of flowers wherever the beasts 
don’t get at them. Phil can have all the 
riding he wants, and it’ll do poor Geoff lots 
of good to see some one.” 


196 


CLOVER. 


It would be very nice indeed/’ doubtfully; 
but who could we get to go with us ? ” 

I thought of that. We don’t take much 
stock in Mrs. Grundy out here ; but I sup- 
posed you ’d want another lady. How would 
it be if I asked Mrs. Hope ? The doctor ’s got 
to come out anyway to see one of our herd- 
ers who ’s put his shoulder out in a fall. If 
he would drive you out, and Mrs. Hope would 
stay on, would you come for a week ? I guess 
you ’ll like it.” 

I ^ guess ’ we should,” exclaimed Clover, 
her face lighting up. Clarence, how delight- 
ful it sounds ! It will be lovely to come if 
Mrs. Hope says yes.” 

Then that ’s all right,” replied Clarence, 
looking extremely pleased. I ’ll ride up to 
the doctor’s as soon as dinner ’s over.” 

You’ll dine with us, of course ? ” 

Oh, I always come to Mother Marsh for 
a bite whenever I stay over the day. She 
likes to have me. We ’ve been great chums 
ever since I had fever here, and she took care 
of me.” 


HIGH VALLEY. 


197 


Clover was amused at dinner to watch the 
cool deliberation with which Clarence studied 
Mrs. Watson and her tortuous conversation, 
and, as he would have expressed it, “took 
stock of her.” The result was not favorable, 
apparently. 

^^What on earth did they send that old 
thing with you for?” he asked as soon as 
they went upstairs. “ She ’s as much out of 
her element here as a canary-bird would be 
in a cyclone. She can’t be any use to you. 
Clover.” 

“Well, no; I don’t think she is. It was a 
sort of mistake ; I ’ll tell you about it some- 
time. But she likes to imagine that she ’s 
taking care of me ; and as it does no harm, I 
let her.” 

“ Taking care of you ! Great thunder ! I 
would n’t trust her to take care of a blue-eyed 
kitten,” observed the irreverent Clarence. 
“ Well, I ’ll ride up and settle with the Hopes, 
and stop and let you know as I come back.” 

Mrs. Hope and the doctor were not hard 
to persuade. In Colorado, people keep their 


198 


CLOVER. 


lamps of enjoyment filled and trimmed, so 
to speak, and their travelling energies ready 
girt about them, and easily adopt any plan 
which promises pleasure. The following day 
was fixed for the start, and Clover packed her 
valise and PhiFs bag, with a sense of exhila- 
ration and escape. She was, in truth, getting 
very tired of the exactions of Mrs. Watson. 
Mrs. Watson, on her part, did not at all ap- 
prove of the excursion. 

I think,’’ she said, swelling with offended 
dignity, that your cousin did n’t know much 
about politeness when he left me out of his 
invitation and asked Mrs. Hope instead. Yes, 
I know ; the doctor had to go up anyway. That 
may be true, and it may not ; but it does n’t 
alter the case. What am I to do, I should 
like to know, if the valves of my heart don’t 
open, or don’t shut — whichever it is — while 
I ’m left all alone here among strangers ? ” 
Send for Dr. Hope,” suggested Phil. 

He ’ll only be gone one night. Clover 
doesn’t know anything about valves.” 

My cousin lives in a rather rough way, I 


HIGH VALLEY. 


199 


imagine/’ interposed Clover, with a reproving 
look at Phil. He would hardly like to ask 
a stranger and an invalid to his house, when 
he might not be able to. make her comfortable. 
Mrs. Hope has been there before, and she ’s 
an old friend.” 

Oh, I dare say ! There are always rea- 
sons. I don’t say that I should have felt like 
going, but he ought to have asked me. Ellen 
will be surprised, and so will — He ’s from 
Ashburn too, and he must know the Parmen- 
ters, and Mrs. Parmenter’s brother’s son is 
partner to Henry’s brother-in-law. It ’s of 
no consequence, of course, — still, respect — 
older people — Boston — not used to — Phil- 
lips — ” Mrs. Watson’s voice died away into 
fragmentary and inaudible lamentings. 

Clover attempted no further excuse. Her 
good sense told her that she had a perfect 
right to accept this little pleasure ; that Mrs. 
Watson’s plans for Western travel had been 
formed quite independently of their own, and 
that papa would not wish her to sacrifice her- 
self and Phil to such unreasonable humors. 


200 


CLOVER. 


Still, it was not pleasant ; and I am sorry to 
say that from this time dated a change of feel- 
ing on Mrs. Watson’s part toward her young 
friends.” She took up a chronic position of 
grievance toward them, confided her wrongs 
to all new-comers, and met Clover with an 
offended air which, though Clover ignored it, 
did not add to the happiness of her life at 
Mrs. Marsh’s. 

It was early in the afternoon when they 
started, and the sun was just dipping be- 
hind the mountain wall when they drove 
into the High Valley. It was one of those 
natural parks, four miles long, which lie like 
heaven-planted gardens among the Colorado 
ranges. The richest of grass clothed it ; fine 
trees grew in clumps and clusters here and 
there ; and the spaces about the house where 
fences of barbed wire defended the grass 
from the cattle, seemed a carpet of wild- 
flowers. 

Clover exclaimed with delight at the view. 
The ranges which lapped and held the high, 
sheltered upland in embrace opened toward 


HIGH VALLEY. 


201 


the south, and revealed a splendid lonely 
peak, on whose summit a drift of freshly-fallen 
snow was lying. The contrast with the 
verdure and bloom below was charmino^. 

The cabin — it was little more — stood 
facing this view, and was backed by a group 
of noble red cedars. . It was built of logs, 
long and low, with a rude porch in front sup- 
ported on unbarked tree trunks. Two fine 
collies rushed to meet them, barking vocifer- 
ously ; and at the sound Clarence hurried to 
the door. He met them with great enthusi- 
asm, lifted out Mrs. Hope, then Clover, and 
then began shouting for his chum, who was 
inside. 

“ Hollo, Geoff ! where are you ? Hurry 
up ; they ’ve come.’’ Then, as he appeared, 
Ladies and gentleman, my partner ! ” 

Geoffrey Templestowe was a tall, sinewy 
young Englishman, with ruddy hair and 
beard, grave blue eyes, and an unmistakable 
air of good breeding. He wore a blue flannel 
shirt and high boots like Clarence’s, yet some- 
how he made Clarence look a little rough 


202 


CLOVER. 


and undistinguished. He was quiet in speech, 
reserved in manner, and seemed depressed 
and under a cloud ; but Clover liked his face 
at once. He looked both strong and kind, 
she thought. 

The house consisted of one large square 
room in the middle, which served as parlor 
and dining-room both, and on either side two 
bedrooms. The kitchen was in a separate 
building. There was no lack of comfort, 
though things were rather rude, and the 
place had a bare, masculine look. The floor 
was strewn with coyote and fox skins. Two 
or three easy-chairs stood around the fire- 
place, in which, July as it was, a big log was 
blazing. Their covers were shabby and worn ; 
but they looked comfortable, and were evi- 
dently in constant use. There was not the 
least attempt at prettiness anywhere. Pipes 
and books and old newspapers littered the 
chairs and tables; when an extra seat was 
needed Clarence simply tipped a great pile of 
these on to the floor. A gun-rack hung upon 
the wall, together with sundry long stock- 


HIGH VALLEY. 


203 


whips and two or three pairs of spurs, and 
a smell of tobacco pervaded the place. 

Clover’s eyes wandered to a corner where 
stood a small parlor organ, and over it a shelf 
of books. She rose to examine them. To her 
surprise they were all hymnals and Church 
of England prayer-books. There were no 
others. She wondered what it meant. 

Clarence had given up his own bedroom to 
Phil, and was to chum with his friend. Some 
little attempt had been made to adorn the 
rooms which were meant for the ladies. Clean 
towels had been spread over the pine shelves 
which did duty for dressing-tables, and on 
each stood a tumbler stuffed as full as it could 
hold with purple pentstemons. Clover could 
not help laughing, yet there was something 
pathetic to her in the clumsy, man-like ar- 
rangement. She relieved the tumbler by putr 
ting a few of the flowers in her dress, and went 
out again to the parlor, where Mrs. Hope sat 
by the fire, quizzing the two partners, who 
were hard at work setting their tea-table. 

It was rather a droll spectacle, — the two 


204 


CLOVER. 


muscular young fellows creaking to and fro 
in their heavy boots, and taking such an in- 
finitude of pains with their operations. One 
would set a plate on the table, and the other 
would forthwith alter its position slightly, or 
lift and scrutinize a tumbler and dust it sedu- 
lously with a glass-towel. Each spoon was pol- 
ished with the greatest particularity before it 
was laid on the tray; each knife passed under 
inspection. Visitors were not an every-day 
luxury in the High Valley, and too much care 
could not be taken for their entertainment, it 
seemed. 

Supper was brought in by a Chinese cook 
in a pigtail, wooden shoes, and a blue Mother 
Hubbard, Choo Loo by name. He was evi- 
dently a good cook, for the corn-bread and 
fresh mountain trout and the ham and eggs 
were savory to the last degree, and the 
flapjacks, with which the meal concluded, and 
which were eaten with a sauce of melted rasp- 
berry jelly, deserved even higher encomium. 

We are willing to be treated as company 
this first night,'’ observed Mrs. Hope; “but 


HIGH VALLEY. 


205 


if you are going to keep us a week, you must 
let us make ourselves useful, and set the table 
and arrange the rooms for you.” 

We will begin to-morrow morning,” added 
Clover. May we, Clarence ? May we play 
that it is our house, and do what we like, and 
change about and arrange things ? It will be 
such fun.” 

Fire away ! ” said her cousin, calmly. 

The more you change the more we shall 
like it. Geoff and I are n’t set in our ways, 
and are glad enough to be let off duty for a 
week. The hut is yours just as long as you 
will stay; do just what you like with it. 
Though we ’re pretty good housekeepers too, 
considering ; don’t you think so ? ” 

Do you believe he meant it ?” asked Clover, 
confidentially afterward of Mrs. Hope. Do 
you think they really would n’t mind being 
tidied up a little ? I should so like to give that 
room a good dusting, if it would n’t vex them.” 

My dear, they will probably never know 
the difference except by a vague sense of im- 
proved comfort. Men are dreadfully untidy. 


206 


CLOYER. 


as a general thing, when left to themselves ; 
but they like very well to have other people 
make things neat.” 

Mr. Templestowe told Phil that they go 
off early in the morning and don’t come back 
till breakfast at half-past seven; so if I wake 
early enough I shall try to do a little setting 
to rights before they come in.” 

‘^And I’ll come and help if I don’t over- 
sleep,” declared Mrs. Hope ; but this air 
makes me feel dreadfully as if I should.” 

^^Isha’n’t call you,” said Clover; ^^but it 
will be nice to have you, if you come.” 

She stood at her window after Mrs. Hope 
had gone, for a last look at the peak which 
glittered sharply in the light of the moon. 
The air was like scented wine. She drew a 
long breath. 

How lovely it is ! ” she said to herself, and 
kissed her hand to the mountain. Good- 
night, you beautiful thing.” 

She woke with the first beam of yellow 
sun, after eight hours of dreamless sleep, 
with a keen sense of renovation and refresh- 


HIGH VALLEY. 


207 


ment. A great splashing was going on in 
the opposite wing, and manly voices hushed 
to suppressed tones were audible. Then came 
a sound of boots on the porch ; and peeping 
from behind her curtain, she saw Clarence 
and his friend striding across the grass in the 
direction of the stock-huts. She glanced at 
her watch. It was a quarter past five. 

^^Now is my chance,” she thought; and 
dressing rapidly, she put on a little cambric 
jacket, knotted her hair up, tied a handker- 
chief over it, and hurried into the sitting- 
room. Her first act was to throw open all 
the windows to let out the smell of stale to- 
bacco, her next to hunt for a broom. She 
found one at last, hanging on the door of a 
sort of store-closet, and moving the furniture 
as noiselessly as site could, she gave the room 
a rapid but effectual sweeping. 

While the dust settled, she stole out to a 
place on the hillside where the night before 
she had noticed some mariposa lilies growing, 
and gathered a large bunch. Then she pro- 
ceeded to dust and straighten, sorted out the 


208 


CLOVER. 


newspapers, wiped the woodwork with a 
damp cloth, arranged the disorderly books, 
and set the breakfast-table. When all this 
was done, there was still time to finish her 
toilet and put her pretty hair in its accus- 
tomed coils and waves ; so that Clarence and 
Mr. Templestowe came in to find the fire 
blazing, the room bright and neat, Mrs. Hope 
sitting at the table in a pretty violet gingham 
ready to pour the coffee which Choo Loo had 
brought in, and Clover, the good fairy of this 
transformation scene, in a fresh blue muslin, 
with a ribbon to match in her hair, just set- 
ting the mariposas in the middle of the table. 
Their lilac-streaked bells nodded from a tall 
vase of ground glass. 

Oh, I say,” cried Clarence, this is some- 
thing like ! Is n’t it scrumptious, Geoff ? 
The hut never looked like this before. It ’s 
wonderful what a woman — no, two women,” 
with a bow to Mrs. Hope — can do toward 
making things pleasant. Where did that vase 
come from. Clover? We never owned any- 
thing so fine as that, I ’m sure.” 


HIGH VALLEY. 


209 


It came from my bag ; and it ’s a present 
for you and Mr. Templestowe. I saw it in a 
shop- window yesterday; and it occurred to me 
that it might be just the thing for High Valley, 
and fill a gap. And Mrs. Hope has brought 
you each a pretty coffee-cup.” 

It was a merry meal. The pleasant look 
of the room, the little surprises, and the re- 
freshment of seeing new and kindly faces, 
raised Mr. Templestowe’s spirits, and warmed 
him out of his reserve. He grew cheerful 
and friendly. Clarence was in uproarious 
spirits, and Phil even worse. It seemed as if 
the air of the High Valley had got into his 
head. 

Dr. Hope left at noon, after making a sec- 
ond visit to the lame herder, and Mrs. Hope 
and Clover settled themselves for a week of 
enjoyment. They were alone for hours every 
day, while their young hosts were off on the 
ranch, and they devoted part of this time 
to various useful and decorative arts. They 
took all manner of liberties, poked about and 
rummaged, mended, sponged, assorted, and 


14 


210 


CLOVEK. 


felt themselves completely mistresses of the 
situation. A note to Marian Chase brought 
up a big parcel by stage to the Ute Valley, 
four miles away, from which it was fetched 
over by a cow-boy on horseback ; and Clover 
worked away busily at scrim curtains for the 
windows, while Mrs. Hope shaped a slip cover 
of gay chintz for the shabbiest of the arm- 
chairs, hemmed a great square of gold-colored 
canton flannel for the bare, unsightly table, 
and made a bright red pincushion apiece 
for the bachelor quarters. The sitting-room 
took on quite a new aspect, and every added 
touch gave immense satisfaction to "the boys,” 
as Mrs. Hope called them, who thoroughly 
enjoyed the effect of these ministrations, 
though they had not the least idea how to 
produce it themselves. 

Creature comforts were not forgotten. The 
two ladies amused themselves with experi- 
ments in cookery. The herders brought a 
basket of wild raspberries, and Clover turned 
them into jam for winter use. Clarence 
gloated over the little white pots, and was 


HIGH VALLEY. 


211 


never tired of counting them. They looked 
so like New England, he declared, that he felt 
as if he must get a girl at once, and go and 
walk in the graveyard, — a pastime which he 
remembered as universal in his native town. 
Various cakes and puddings appeared to attest 
the industry of the housekeepers ; and on the 
only wet evening, when a wild thunder-gust 
was sweeping down the valley, they had a 
wonderful candy-pull, and made enough to 
give all the cow-boys a treat. 

It must not be supposed that all their time 
went in these domestic pursuits. No, indeed. 
Mrs. Hope had brought her own side-saddle, 
and had borrowed one for Clover; the place 
was full of horses, and not a day passed with- 
out a long ride up or down the valley, and 
into the charming little side canyons which 
opened from it. A spirited broncho, named 
Sorrel, had been made over to Phil’s use for 
the time of his stay, and he was never out of 
the saddle when he could help it, except to 
eat and sleep. He shared in the herders’ wild 
gallops after stock, and though Clover felt 


212 


CLOYER. 


nervous about the risks he ran, whenever she 
took time to think them over, he was so very 
happy that she had not the heart to interfere 
or check his pleasure. 

She and Mrs. Hope rode out with the gen- 
tlemen on the great day of the round-up, and, 
stationed at a safe point a little way up the 
hillside, watched the spectacle, — the plung- 
ing, excited herd, the cow-boys madly gallop- 
ing, swinging their long whips and lassos, 
darting to and fro to head off refractory 
beasts or check the tendency to stampede. 
Both Clarence and Geoffrey Templestowe were 
bold and expert riders ; but the Mexican and 
Texan herders in their employ far surpassed 
them. The ladies had never seen anything 
like it. Phil and his broncho were in the 
midst of things, of course, and had one or two 
tumbles, but nothing to hurt them ; only Clo- 
ver was very thankful when it was all safely 
over. 

In their rides and scrambling walks it gen- 
erally happened that Clarence took possession 
of Clover, and left Geoff in charge of Mrs. 


HIGH VALLEY. 


213 


Hope. Cousinship and old friendship gave him 
a right, he considered, and he certainly took 
full advantage of it. Clover liked Clarence ; 
but there were moments when she felt that she 
would rather enjoy the chance to talk more 
with Mr. Templestowe, and there was a look 
in his eyes now and then which seemed to say 
that he might enjoy it too. But Clarence did 
not observe this look, and he had no idea of 
sharing his favorite cousin with any one, if he 
could help it. 

Sunday brought the explanation of the shelf 
full of prayer-books which had puzzled them 
on their first arrival. There was no church 
within reach ; and it was Geoff’s regular cus- 
tom, it seemed, to hold a little service for the 
men in the valley. Almost all of them came, 
except the few Mexicans, who were Roman 
Catholics, and the room was quite full. Geoff 
read the service well and reverently, gave out 
the hymns, and played the accompaniments 
for them, closing with a brief bit of a ser- 
mon by the elder Arnold. It was all done 
simply and as a matter of course, and Clar- 


214 


CL OYER. 


ence seemed to join in it with much good- 
will ; but Clover privately wondered whether 
the idea of doing such a thing would have 
entered into his head had he been left alone, 
or, if so, whether he would have cared 
enough about it to carry it out regularly. 
She doubted. Whatever the shortcomings of 
the Church of England may be, she certainly 
trains her children into a devout observance 
of Sunday. 

The next day, Monday, was to be their 
last, — a fact lamented by every one, particu- 
larly Phil, who regarded the High Valley as 
a paradise, and would gladly have remained 
there for the rest of his natural life. Clover 
hated to take him away ; but Dr. Hope had 
warned her privately that a week would be 
enough of it, and that with Phil’s tendency to 
overdo, too long a stay would be undesirable. 
So she stood firm, though Clarence urged a 
delay, and Phil seconded the proposal with 
all his might. 

The very pleasantest moment of the visit 
perhaps came on that last afternoon, when 


HIGH VALLEY. 


215 


Geoff got her to himself for once, and took 
her up a trail where she had not yet been, in 
search of scarlet pentstemons to carry back to 
St. Helen’s. They found great sheaves of the 
slender stems threaded, as it were, with jewel- 
like blossoms ; but what was better still, they 
had a talk, and Clover felt that she had now 
a new friend. Geoff told her of his people at 
home, and a little about the sister who had 
lately died ; only a little, — he could not yet 
trust himself to talk long about her. Clover 
listened with frank and gentle interest. She 
liked to hear about the old grange at the 
head of a chine above Clovelley, where Geoff 
was born, and which had once been full of 
boys and girls, now scattered in the English 
fashion to all parts of the world. There was 
Ealph with his regiment in India, — he was 
the heir, it seemed, — and Jim and Jack in 
Australia, and Oliver with his wife and chil- 
dren in New Zealand, and Allen at Harrow, 
and another boy fitting for the civil service. 
There was a married sister in Scotland, and 
another in London ; and Isabel, the youngest 


216 


CLOVEE. 


of all, still at home, — the light of the house, 
and the special pet of the old squire and of 
GeolTs mother, who, he told Clover, had been 
a great beauty in her youth, and though nearly 
seventy, was in his eyes beautiful still. 

It ’s pretty quiet there for Isabel,” he 
said ; “ but she has my sister Helen’s two 
children to care for, and that will keep her 
busy. I used to think she ’d come out to me 
one of these years for a twelvemonth; but 
there ’s little chance of her being spared 
now.” 

Clover’s sympathy did not take the form of 
words. It looked out of her eyes, and spoke 
in the hushed tones of her soft voice. Geoff 
felt that it was there, and it comforted him. 
The poor fellow was very lonely in those days, 
and inclined to be homesick, as even a manly 
man sometimes is. 

What an awful time Adam must have had 
of it before Eve came ! ” growled Clarence, that 
evening, as they sat around the fire. 

He had a pretty bad time after she came, 
if I remember,” said Clover, laughing. 


HIGH VALLEY. 


217 


Ah, but he had her ! ” 

Stuff and nonsense ! He was a long shot 
happier without her and her old apple, I 
think,’' put in Phil. You fellows don’t 
know when you ’re well off.” 

Everybody laughed. 

^‘Phil’s notion of Paradise is the High Val- 
ley and Sorrel, and no girls about to bother 
and tell him not to get too tired,” remarked 
Clover. It ’s a fair vision • but like all fair 
visions it must end.” 

And end it did next day, when Dr. 
Hope appeared with the carriage, and the 
bags and saddles were put in, and the great 
bundle of wild-flowers, with their stems 
tied in wet moss ; and Phil, torn from 
his beloved broncho, on whose back he 
had passed so many happy hours, was 
forced to accompany the others back to 
civilization. 

I shall see you very soon,” said Clarence, 
tucking the lap-robe round Clover. There ’s 
the mail to fetch, and other things. I shall be 
riding in every day or two.” 


218 


CLOYEK. 


shall see you very soon/' said Geoff, 
on the other side. Clarence is not coming 
without me, I can assure you." 

Then the carriage drove away ; and the 
two partners went back into the house, which 
looked suddenly empty and deserted. 

I 'll tell you what ! ” began Clarence. 

And I 'll tell you what ! " rejoined Geoff. 

A house is n't worth a red cent which 
has n't a woman in it." 

You might ride down and ask Miss Per- 
kins to step up and adorn our lives," said his 
friend, grimly. Miss Perkins was a particu- 
larly rigid spinster who taught a school six 
miles distant, and for whom Clarence enter- 
tained a particular distaste. 

You be hanged ! I don't mean that kind. 
I mean — " 

The nice kind, like Mrs. Hope and your 
cousin. Well, I’m agreed." 

I shall go down after the mail to-morrow," 
remarked Clarence, between the puffs of his 
pipe. 

So shall I." 


HIGH VALLEY. 


219 


All right ; come along ! ’’ But though 
the words sounded hearty, the tone rather 
belied them. Clarence was a little puzzled 
by and did not quite like this newborn 
enthusiasm on the part of his comrade. 


CHAPTER IX. 


OYER A PASS. 

to their resolve, the young 
Is of the High Yalley Ranch 
! together to St. Helen’s next 
day, — ostensibly to get their letters ; in 
reality to call on their late departed guests. 
They talked amicably as they went ; but 
unconsciously each was watching the other’s 
mood and speech. To like the same girl 
makes young men curiously observant of 
each other. 

A disappointment was in store for them. 
They had taken it for granted that Clover 
would be as disengaged and as much at their 
service as she had been in the valley; and 
lo ! she sat on the piazza with a knot of girls 
about her, and a young man in an extremely 
^Hetching” costume of snow-white duck, with 



OVER A PASS. 


221 


a flower in his button-hole, was bending over 
her chair, and talking in a low voice of some- 
thing which seemed of interest. He looked 
provokingly cool and comfortable to the dusty 
horsemen, and very much at home. Phil, 
who lounged against the piazza-rail opposite, 
dispensed an enormous and meaning wink at 
his two friends as they came up the steps. 

Clover jumped up from her chair, and gave 
them a most cordial reception. 

How delightful to see you again so soon ! ” 
she said. Then she introduced them to a girl 
in pink and a girl in blue as Miss Perhain 
and Miss Blanchard, and they shook hands 
with Marian Chase, whom they already knew, 
and lastly were presented to Mr. Wade, the 
youth in white. The three young men eyed 
one another with a not very friendly scru- 
tiny, just veiled by the necessary outward 
politeness. 

Then you will be all ready for Thursday, 
— and your brother too, of course, — and my 
mother will stop for you at half-past ten on 
her way down,’’ they heard him say. Miss 


222 


CLOVER. 


Chase will go with the Hopes. Oh, yes; there 
will be plenty of room. No danger about that. 
We’re almost sure to have good weather too. 
Good-morning. I ’m so glad you enjoyed the 
roses.” 

There was a splendid cluster of Jacquemi- 
not buds in Clover’s dress, at which Clarence 
glared wrathfully as he caught these words. 
The only consolation was that the creature 
in duck was going. He was making his last 
bows ; and one of the girls went with him, 
which still farther reduced the number of 
what in his heart Clarence stigmatized as 
‘^a crowd.” 

must go too,” said the girl in blue. 

Good-by, Clover. I shall run in a minute 
to-morrow to talk over the last arrangements 
for Thursday.” 

What ’s going to happen on Thursday ? ” 
growled Clarence as soon as she had departed. 

Oh, such a delightful thing,” cried Clover, 
sparkling and dimpling. Old Mr. Wade, the 
father of young Mr. Wade, whom you saw just 
now, is a director on the railroad, you know ; 


OYER A PASS. 


223 


and they have given him the director’s car to 
take a party over the Marshall Pass, and he 
has asked Phil and me to go. It is such a 
surprise. Ever since we came to St. Helen’s, 
people have been telling us what a beautiful 
journey it is ; but I never supposed we should 
have the chance to take it. Mrs. Hope is 
going too, and the doctor, and Miss Chase and 
Miss Perham, — all the people we know best, 
in fact. Is n’t it nice ?” 

“ Oh, certainly ; very nice,” replied Clar- 
ence, in a tone of deep offence. He was most 
unreasonably in the sulks. Clover glanced at 
him with surprise, and then at Geoff, who was 
talking to Marian. He looked a little serious, 
and not so bright as in the valley; but he 
vras making himself very pleasant, notwith- 
standing. Surely he had the same causes for 
annoyance as Clarence ; but his breeding for- 
bade him to show whatever inward vexation 
he may have felt, — certainly not to allow it 
to influence his manners. Clover drew a men- 
tal contrast between the two which was not to 
Clarence’s advantage. 


224 


CLOVEK. 


‘‘ Who ’s that fellow anyway ? ’’ demanded 
Clarence. How long have you known him ? 
What business has he to be bringing you roses, 
and making up parties to take you off on 
private cars?” 

Something in Clover s usually soft eyes 
made him stop suddenly. 

I beg your pardon/’ he said in an altered 
tone. 

I really think you should/’ replied Clover, 
with pretty dignity. 

Then she moved away, and began to talk to 
Geoff, whose grave courtesy at once warmed 
into cheer and sun. 

Clarence, thus left a prey to remorse, was 
wretched. He tried to catch Clover’s eye, 
but she wouldn’t look at him. He leaned 
against the balustrade moody and miserable. 
Phil, who had watched these various inter- 
ludes with interest, indicated his condition 
to Clover with another telegraphic wink. 
She glanced across, relented, and made 
Clarence a little signal to come and sit by 
her. 


OVER A PASS. 


225 


After that all went happily. Clover was 
honestly delighted to see her two friends 
again. And now that Clarence had recov- 
ered from his ill-temper, there was nothing to 
mar their enjoyment. Geoff s horse had cast 
a shoe on the way down, it seemed, and must 
be taken to the blacksmith’s, so they did not 
stay very long ; but it was arranged that they 
should come back to dinner at Mrs. Marsh’s. 

What a raving belle you are ! ” remarked 
Marian Chase, as the young men rode away. 

Three is a good many at a time, though, 
is n’t it ? ” 

Three what ? ” 

Three — hem ! leaves — to one Clover ! ” 
‘'^It’s the usual allowance, I believe. If 
there were four, now — ” 

Oh, I dare say there will be. They seem 
to collect round you like wasps round honey. 
It ’s some natural law, I presume, — gravita- 
tion or levitation, which is it ? ” 

I ’m sure I don’t know, and don’t try to 
tease me. Poppy. People out here are so 
kind that it’s enough to spoil anj^body.” 

15 


226 


CLOYEK. 


Kind, forsooth ! Do you consider it all 
pure kindness? Eeally, for such a belle, 
you 're very innocent.” 

“I wish you wouldn’t,” protested Clover, 
laughing and coloring. I never was a belle 
in my life, and that ’s the second time you ’ve 
called me that. Nobody ever said such things 
to me in Burnet.” 

Ah, you had to come to Colorado to find 
out how attractive you could be. Burnet 
must be a very quiet place. Never mind ; 
you sha’n’t be teased. Clover dear. Only 
don’t let this trefoil of yours get to fight- 
ing with one another. That good-looking 
cousin of yours was casting quite murderous 
glances at poor Thurber Wade just now.” 

Clarence is a dear boy ; but he ’s rather 
spoiled and not quite grown up yet, I think.” 

“When are you coming back from the 
Marshall Pass ? ” inquired Geoff, after dinner, 
when Clarence had gone for the horses. 

“ On Saturday. We shall only be gone two 
days.” 

“ Then I will ride in on Thursday morning, 


OYER A PASS. 


227 


if you will permit, with my field-glass. It is 
a particularly good one, and you may find it 
■ useful for the distant views.” 

When are you coming back ? ” demanded 
Clarence, a little later. Saturday ? Then I 
shaVt be in again before Monday.” 

“ Won’t you want your letters ? ” 

Oh, I guess there won’t be any worth 
coming for till then.” 

Not a letter from your mother ? ” 

She only writes once in a while. Most 
of what I get comes from pa.” 

Cousin Olivia never did seem to care 
much for Clarence,” remarked Clover, after 
they were gone. He would have been a 
great deal nicer if he had had a pleasanter 
time at home. It makes such a difference 
with boys. Now Mr. Templestowe has a 
lovely mother, I ’m sure.” 

Oh ! ” was all the reply that Phil would 
vouchsafe. 

How queer people are ! ” thought little 
Clover to herself afterward. Neither of 
those boys quite liked our going on this ex- 


228 


CLOVER. 


pedition, I think, — though I ’m sure I can’t 
imagine why ; but they behaved so differ- 
ently. Mr. Templestowe thought of us and 
something which might give us pleasure ; and 
Clarence only thought about himself. Poor 
Clarence ! he never had half a chance till he 
came here. It isn’t all his fault.” 

The party in the director’s car proved a 
merry one. Mrs. Wade, a jolly, motherly 
woman, fond of the good things of life, and 
delighting in making people comfortable, had 
spared no pains of preparation. There were 
quantities of easy-chairs and fans and eau- 
de-cologne ; the larder was stocked with all 
imaginable dainties, — iced tea, lemonade, and 
champagne cup flowed on the least provoca- 
tion for all the hot moments, and each table 
was a bank of flowers. Each lady had a su- 
perb bouquet ; and on the second day a great 
tin box of freshly-cut roses met them at Pueb- 
lo, so that they came back as gayly furnished 
forth as they went. Having the privilege of 
the road, the car was attached or detached to 
suit their convenience, and this enabled them 


OYER A PASS. 


229 


to command daylight for all the finest points 
of the excursion. 

First of these was the Eoyal Gorge, where 
the Arkansas River pours through a magnifi- 
cent canyon, between precipices so steep and 
with curves so sharp that only engineering 
genius of the most daring order could, it 
would seem, have devised a way through. 
Then, after a pause at the pretty town of 
Salida, with the magnificent range of the 
Sangre de Cristo Mountains in full sight, 
they began to mount the pass over long 
loops of rail, which doubled and re-doubled 
on themselves again and again on their way 
to the summit. The train had been divided ; 
and the first half with its two engines was 
seen at times puffing and snorting directly 
overhead of the second half on the lower 
curve. 

With each hundred feet of elevation, the 
view changed and widened. Now it was of 
over-lapping hills set with little mesas, like 
folds of green velvet flung over the rocks; 
now of dim-seen valley depths with winding 


230 


CLOYER. 


links of silver rivers ; and again of countless 
mountain peaks sharp-cut against the sunset 
sky, — some rosy pink, some shining with 
snow. 

The flowers were a continual marvel. At 
the top of the pass, eleven thousand feet and 
more above the sea, their colors and their 
abundance were more profuse and splendid 
than on the lower levels. There were whole 
fields of pentstemons, pink, blue, royal pur- 
ple, or the rare scarlet varie'ty, like stems of 
asparagus strung with rubies. There were 
masses of gillias, and of wonderful coreop- 
sis, enormous cream-colored stars with deep- 
orange centres, and deep*yellow ones with 
scarlet centres ; thickets of snowy-cupped 
mentzelia and of wild rose; while here and 
there a tall red lily burned like a little lonely 
flame in the green, or regiments of convolvuli 
waved their stately heads. 

From below came now and again the tin- 
kle of distant cow-bells. These, and the plain- 
tive coo of mourning-doves in the branches, 
and the rush of the wind, which was like cool 


OYER A PASS. 231 

flower-scented wine, was all that broke the 
stillness of the high places. 

“ To think I ’m so much nearer heaven 
Than when I was a boy,” 

misquoted Clover, as she sat on the rear plat- 
form of the car, with Poppy, and Thurber 
Wade. 

Are you sure your head does n’t ache ? 
This elevation plays the mischief with some 
people. My mother has taken to her berth 
with ice on her temples.’^ 

Headache ! No, indeed. This air is too 
delicious. I feel as though I could dance all 
the way from here to the Black Canyon.” 

^^You don’t look as if your head ached, 
or anything,” said Mr. Wade, staring at 
Clover admiringly. Her cheeks were pink 
with excitement, her eyes full of light and 
exhilaration. 

Oh dear! we are beginning to go down,” 
she cried, watching one of the beautiful peaks 
of the Sangre de Cristos as it dipped out of 
sight. I think I could find it in my heart 


232 


CLOYER. 


to cry, if it were not that to-morrow we are 
coming up again.” 

So down, down, down they went. Dusk 
slowly gathered about them; and the white- 
gloved butler set the little tables, and brought 
in broiled chicken and grilled salmon and 
salad and hot rolls and peaches, and they 
were all very hungry. And Clover did not 
cry, but fell to work on her* supper with an 
excellent appetite, quite unconscious that they 
were speeding through another wonderful 
gorge without seeing one of its beauties. 
Then the car was detached from the train ; 
and when she awoke next morning they were 
at the little station called Cimmaro, at the 
head of the famous Black Canyon, with three 
hours to spare before the train from Utah 
should arrive to take them back to St. 
Helen’s. 

Early as it was, the small settlement was 
awake. Lights glanced from the eating-house, 
where cooks were preparing breakfast for the 
through” passengers, and smokes curled from 
the chimneys. Close to the car was a large 


OVER A PASS. 


233 


brick structure which seemed to be a sort 
of hotel for locomotives. A number of the 
enormous creatures had evidently passed the 
night there, and just waked up. Clover now 
watched their antics with great amusement 
from her window as their engineers ran them 
in and out, rubbed them down like horses, 
and fed them with oil and coal, while they 
snorted and backed and sidled a good deal as 
real horses do. Clover could not at all un- 
derstand what all these manoeuvres were for, 
— they seemed only designed to show the 
paces of the iron steeds, and what they were 
good for. 

‘^Miss Clover,’’ whispered a voice outside 
her curtains, I ’ve got hold of a hand-car 
and a couple of men ; and don’t you want to 
take a spin down the canyon and see the view 
with no smoke to spoil it ? J ust you and 
me and Miss Chase. She says she’ll go if 
you will. Hurry, and don’t make a noise. 
We won’t wake the others.” 

Of course Clover wanted to. She finished 
her dressing at top-speed, hurried on her hat 


234 


CLOVER. 


and jacket, stole softly out to where the oth- 
ers awaited her, and in five minutes they 
were smoothly running down the gorge, over 
high trestle-work bridges and round sharp 
curves which mclde her draw her breath a lit- 
tle faster. There was no danger, the men 
who managed the hand-car assured them ; it 
was a couple of hours yet before the next 
train came in ; there was plenty of time to go 
three or four miles down and return. 

Anything more delicious than the early 
morning air in the Black Canyon it would be 
difficult to imagine. Cool, odorous with pines 
and with the breath of the mountains, it was 
like a zestful draught of iced summer. Close 
beside the track ran a wondrous river which 
seemed made of melted jewels, so curiously 
brilliant were its waters and mixed of so many 
hues. Its course among the rocks was a flash 
of foaming rapids, broken here and there by 
pools of exquisite blue-green, deepening into 
inky-violet under the shadow of the cliffs. 
x\nd such cliffs ! — one, two, three thousand 
feet high ; not deep-colored like those about 


OVER A PASS. 


235 


St. Helen’s, but of steadfast mountain hues 
and of magnificent forms, — buttresses and 
spires; crags whose bases v^ere lost in un- 
trodden forests; needle-sharp pinnacles like 
the Swiss Aiguilles. The morning was just 
making its way into the canyon ; and the 
loftier tops flashed with yellow sun, while 
the rest were still in cold shadow. 

Breakfast was just ready when the hand- 
car arrived again at the upper end of the 
gorge, and loud were the reproaches which 
met the happy three as they alighted from it. 
Phil was particularly afflicted. 

I call it mean not to wake a fellow,” he said. 

^^But a fellow was so sound asleep,” said 
Clover, I really had n’t the heart. I did peep 
in at your curtain, and if you had moved 
so much as a finger, 'perhaps I should have 
called you ; but you did n’t.” 

The return journey was equally fortunate, 
and the party reached St. Helen’s late in the 
evening of the second day, in what Mr. Wade 
called excellent form.” Monday brought 
the young men from the ranch in again; 


236 


CLOVER. 


and another fortnight passed happily, Clover’s 
three leaves ” being most faithfully attentive 
to their central point of attraction. Three 
is a good many,” as Marian Chase had said, 
but all girls like to be liked, and Clover did 
not find this, her first little experience of the 
kind, at all disagreeable. 

The excursion to the Marshall Pass, how- 
ever, had an after effect which was not so 
pleasant. Either the high elevation had dis- 
agreed with Phil, or he had taken a little cold ; 
at all events, he was distinctly less well. 
With the lowering of his physical forces came 
a corresponding depression of spirits. Mrs. 
Watson worried him, the sick people troubled 
him, the sound of coughing depressed him, his 
appetite flagged, and his sleep was broken. 
Clover felt that he must have a change, and 
consulted Dr. Hope, who advised their going 
to the Ute Valley for a month. 

This involved giving up their rooms at 
Mrs. Marsh’s, which was a pity, as it was by 
no means certain that they would be able to 
get them again later. Clover regretted this ; 


OYER A PASS. 


237 


but Fate, as Fate often does, brought a com- 
pensation. Mrs. Watson had no mind what- 
ever for the Ute Valley. 

^^It’s a dull place, they tell me, and there 's 
nothing to do there but ride on horseback, 
and as I don’t ride on horseback, I really 
don’t see what use there would be in my 
going,” she said to Clover. If I were 
young, and there were young men ready to 
ride with me all the time, it would be differ- 
ent ; though Ellen never did care to, except 
with Henry of course, after they — And I 
really can’t see that your brother ’s much dif- 
ferent from what he was, though if Dr. Hope 
says so, naturally you — He ’s a queer kind 
of doctor, it seems to me, to send lung patients 
up higher than this, — which is high already, 
gracious knows. No ; if you decide to go, I 
shall just move over to the Shoshone for the 
rest of the time that I’m here. I’m sure 
that Dr. Carr could n’t expect me to stay on 
here alone, just for the chance that you may 
want to come back, when as like as not, Mrs. 
Marsh won’t be able to take you again.” 


238 


CLOYER. 


Oh, no ; I’m quite sure he would n’t. 
Only I thought,” doubtfully, that as you ’ve 
always admired Phil’s room so much, you might 
like to secure it now that we have to go.” 

^^Well, yes. If you were to be here, I 
might. If that man who ’s so sick had got 
better, or gone away, or something, I dare 
say I should have settled down in his room 
and been comfortable enough. But he seems 
just about as he was when we came, so there ’s 
no use waiting ; and I ’d rather go to the 
Shoshone anyway. I always said it was a 
mistake that we did n’t go there in the first 
place. It was Dr. Hope’s doing, and I have 
not the least confidence in him. He has n’t 
osculated me once since I came.” 

Has n’t he ? ” said Clover, feeling her 
voice tremble, and perfectly aware of the 
shaking of Phil’s shoulders behind her. 

No ; and I don’t call just putting his e.ar 
to my chest, listening. Dr. Bangs, at home, 
would be ashamed to come to the house with- 
out his stethoscope. I mean to move this 
afternoon. I ’ve given Mrs. Marsh notice.” 


OYER A PASS. 


239 


So Mrs. Watson and her belongings went to 
the Shoshone, and Clover packed the trunks 
with a lighter heart for her departure. 

The last day of July found Clover and Phil 
settled in the Ute Park. It was a wild and 
beautiful valley, some hundreds of feet higher 
than St. Helen’s, and seemed the very home 
of peace. A Sunday-like quiet pervaded the 
place, whose stillness was never broken ex- 
cept by bird-songs and the rustle of the pine 
branches. 

The sides of the valley near its opening 
were dotted here and there with huts and 
cabins belonging to parties who had fled from 
the heat of the plains for the summer. At 
the upper end stood the ranch house, — a 
large, rather rudely built structure, — and 
about it were a number of cabins and cot- 
tages, in which two, four, or six people could 
be accommodated. Clover and Phil were 
lodged in one of these. The tiny structure 
contained only a sitting and two sleeping 
rooms, and was very plain and bare. But 
there was a fireplace ; wood was abundant, so 


240 


CLOVER. 


that a cheerful blaze could be had for cool 
evenings ; and the little piazza faced the south, 
and made a sheltered sitting place on windy 
days. 

One pleasant feature of the spot was its 
nearness to the High Valley. Clarence and 
Geoff Templestowe thought nothing of riding 
four miles ; and scarcely a day passed when 
one or both did not come over. They brought 
wild-flowers, or cream, or freshly-churned but- 
ter, as offerings from the ranch ; and, what 
Clover valued as a greater kindness yet, they 
brought Phil’s beloved broncho. Sorrel, and 
arranged with the owner of the Ute ranch that 
it should remain as long as Phil was there. 
This gave Phil hours of delightful exercise 
every day ; and though sometimes he set out 
early in the morning for the High Valley, and 
stayed later in the afternoon than his sister 
thought prudent, she had not the heart to 
chide, so long as he was visibly getting better 
hour by hour. 

Sundays the friends spent together, as a 
matter of course. Geoff waited till his little 


OYER A PASS. 


241 


home service for the ranchmen was over, and 
then would gallop across with Clarence to 
pass the rest of the day. There was no lack 
of kind people at the main house and in the 
cottages to take an interest in the delicate 
boy and his sweet, motherly sister ; so Clover 
had an abundance of volunteer matrons, and 
plenty of pleasant ways in which to spend 
those occasional days on which the High Val- 
ley attaches failed to appear. 

It was a simple, healthful life, the hap- 
piest on the whole which they had led since 
leaving home. Once or twice Mr. Thurber 
Wade made his appearance, gallantly mount- 
ed, and freighted with flowers and kind mes- 
sages from his mother to Miss Carr ; but 
Clover was never sorry when he rode away 
again. Somehow he did not seem to belong 
to the Happy Valley, as in her heart she 
denominated the place. 

There was a remarkable deal of full moon 
that month, as it seemed ; at least, the fact 
served as an excuse for a good many late tran- 
sits between the valley and the park. Now 
16 


242 


CLOVEK. 


and then either Clarence or GeofF would lead 
over a saddle-horse and give Clover a good 
gallop up or down the valley, which she 
always enjoyed. The habit which she had 
extemporized for her visit to the High Valley 
answered very well, and Mrs. Hope had lent 
her a hat. 

On one of these occasions she and Clarence 
had ridden farther than usual, quite down to 
the end of the pass, where the road dipped, 
and descended to the little watering-place 
of Canyon Creek, — a Swiss-like village of 
hotels and lodging-houses and shops for the 
sale of minerals and mineral waters, set along 
the steep sides of a narrow green valley. 
They were chatting gayly, and had just 
agreed that it was time to turn their horses’ 
heads homeward, when a sudden darkening 
made them aware that one of the unexpected 
thunder-gusts peculiar to the region was upon 
them. 

They were still a mile above the village; 
but as no nearer place of shelter presented 
itself, they decided to proceed. But the 


OVER A PASS. 


243 


storm moved more rapidly than they; and 
long before the first houses came in sight the 
heavy drops began to pelt down. A brown 
young fellow, lying flat on his back under a 
thick bush, with his horse standing over him, 
shouted to them to try the cave,” waving his 
hand in its direction ; and hurrying on, they 
saw in another moment a shelving brow of 
rock in the cliff, under which was a deep recess. 

To this Clarence directed the horses. He 
lifted Clover down. She half sat, half leaned 
on the slope of the rock, well under cover, 
while he stretched himself at full length on a 
higher ledge, and held the bridles fast. The 
horses’ heads and the saddles were fairly well 
protected, but the hindquarters of the animals 
were presently streaming with water. 

This is n’t half -bad, is it ? ” Clarence said. 
His mouth was so close to Clover’s ear that 
she could catch his words in spite of the noisy 
thunder and the roar of the descending rain. 

No ; I call it fun.” 

You look awfully pretty, do you know ? ” 
was the next and very unexpected remark. 


244 


CLOVER. 


Nonsense.” 

Not nonsense at all.” 

At that moment a carriage dashed rapidly 
by, the driver guiding the horses as well as 
he could between the points of an umbrella, 
which constantly menaced his eyes. Other 
travellers in the pass had evidently been sur- 
prised by the storm besides themselves. The 
lady who held the umbrella looked out, and 
caught the picture of the group under the 
cliff. It was a suggestive one. Clover s 
hat was a little pushed forward by the rock 
against which she leaned, which in its turn 
pushed forward the waving rings of hair 
which shaded her forehead, but did not hide 
her laughing eyes, or the dimples in her pink 
cheeks. The fair, slender girl, the dark, stal- 
wart young fellow so close to her, the rain, the 
half-sheltered horses, — it was easy enough to 
construct a little romance. 

The lady evidently did so. It was what 
photographers call an instantaneous effect,” 
caught in three seconds, as the carriage 
whirled past; but in that fraction of a min- 


OYER A PASS. 


245 


ute the lady had nodded and flashed a bril- 
liant, sympathetic smile in their direction, and 
Clover had nodded in return, and laughed 
back. 

A good many people seem to have been 
caught as we have,’' she said, as another 
streaming vehicle dashed by. 

I wish it would rain for a week,” observed 
Clarence. 

My gracious, what a wish ! What would 
become of us if it did ? ” 

‘^We should stay here just where we are, 
and I should have you all to myself for once, 
and nobody could come in to interfere with 

Thank you extremely ! How hungry 
we should be ! How can you be so absurd, 
Clarence ? ” 

I 'm not absurd at all. I 'm perfectly in 
earnest.” 

Do you mean that you really want to 
stay a week under this rock with nothing 
to eat?” 

Well, no ; not exactly that perhaps, — 


246 


CLOVER. 


though if you could, I would. But I mean 
that I would like to get you for a whole solid 
week to myself. There is such a gang of 
people about always, and they all want 
you. Clover,” he went on, for, puzzled at 
his tone, she made no answer, could n’t 
you like me a little ? ” 

I like you a great deal. You come next 
to Phil and Dorry with me.” 

Hang Phil and Dorry ! Who wants to 
come next to them ? I want you to like me 
a great deal more than that. I want you to 
love me. Could n’t you. Clover ? ” 

How strangely you talk ! I do love you, 
of course. You ’re my cousin.” 

‘‘ I don’t care to- be loved ^ of course.’ I 
want to be loved for myself Clover, you 
know what I mean ; you must know. I can 
afford to marry now ; won’t you stay in Col- 
orado and be my wife ? ” 

I don’t think you know what you are say- 
ing, Clarence. I’m older than you are. I 
thought you looked upon me as a sort of 
mother or older sister.” 


OYER A PASS. 


247 


Only fifteen months older/’ retorted Clar- 
ence. I never heard of any one’s being a 
mother at that age. I ’m a man now, I would 
have you remember, though I am a little 
younger than you, and know my own mind 
as well as if I were fifty. Dear Clovy,” 
coaxingly, could n’t you ? You liked the 
High Valley, didn’t you? I’d do anything 
possible to make it nice and pleasant for 
you.” 

I do like the High Valley very much,” said 
Clover, still with the feeling that Clarence 
must be half in joke, or she half in dream. 

But, my dear boy, it is n’t my home. I 
could n’t leave papa and the children, and stay 
out here, even with you. It would seem so 
strange and far away.” 

You could if you cared for me,” replied 
Clarence, dejectedly ; Clover’s kind, argumen- 
tative, elder-sisterly tone was precisely that 
which is most discouraging to a lover. 

‘‘ Oh, dear,” cried poor Clover, not far from 
tears herself ; “ this is dreadful ! ” 

What ? ” moodily. Having an offer ? 


248 


CLOVER. 


You must have had lots of them before 
now.’’ 

Indeed I never did. People don’t do such 
things in Burnet. Please don’t say any more, 
Clarence. I ’m very fond of you, just as I am 
of the boys ; but — ” 

^‘But what? Go on.” 

How can I ? ” Clover was fairly crying. 

You mean that you can’t love me in the 
other way.” 

^^Yes.” The word came out half as a 
sob, but the sincerity of the accent was un- 
mistakable. 

Well,” said poor Clarence, after a long 
bitter pause ; it is n’t your fault, I suppose. 
I ’m not good enough for you. Still, I ’d have 
done my best, if you would have taken me. 
Clover.” 

I am sure you would,” eagerly. You ’ve 
always been my favorite cousin, you know. 
People can’t malce themselves care for each 
other ; it has to come in spite of them or not 
at all, — at least, that is what the novels say. 
But you Ye not angry with me, are you, 


OVER A PASS. 


249 


dear? We will be good friends always, 
shan't we ? " persuasively. 

I wonder if we can/' said Clarence, in a 
hopeless tone. “ It does n't seem likely ; but 
I don’t know any more about it than you do. 
It 's my first offer as well as yours.” Then, 
after a silence and a struggle, he added in a 
more manful tone, We 'll try for it, at least. 
I can’t afford to give you up. You’re the 
sweetest girl in the world. I always said so, 
and I say so still. It will be hard at first, but 
perhaps it may grow easier with time.” 

Oh, it will,” cried Clover, hopefully. It 's 
only because you 're so lonely out here, and 
see so few people, that makes you suppose I 
am better than the rest. One of these days 
you '11 find a girl who is a great deal nicer than 
I am, and then you 'll be glad that I did n’t say 
yes. There ! the rain is just stopping.” 

It 's easy enough to talk,” remarked Clar- 
ence, gloomily, as he gathered up the bridles 
of the horses ; but I shall do nothing of the 
kind. I declare I won’t ! ” 


CHAPTER X. 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 

B ILOVER did not see Clarence again 
I for several days after this conver- 
il sation, the remembrance of which 
was uncomfortable to her. She feared he was 
feeling hurt or huffy/' and would show it in 
his manner ; and she disliked very much the 
idea that Phil might suspect the reason, or, 
worse still, Mr. Templestowe. 

But when he finally appeared he seemed 
much the same as usual. After all, she re- 
fiected, it has only been a boyish impulse ; 
he has already got over it, or not meant all 
he said. 

In this she did Clarence an injustice. He 
had been very much in earnest when he spoke ; 
and it showed the good stuff which was in 
him and his real regard for Clover that he 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


251 


should be making so manly a struggle with 
his disappointment and pain. His life had 
been a lonely one in Colorado ; he could not 
afford to quarrel with his favorite cousin, and 
with him, as with other lovers, there may have 
been, besides, some lurking hope that she 
might yet change her mind. But perhaps 
Clover in a measure was right in her convic- 
tion that Clarence was still too young and 
undeveloped to have things go very deep with 
him. He seemed to her in many ways as 
boyish and as undisciplined as Phil. 

With early September the summering of 
the Ute Park came to a close. The cold be- 
gins early at that elevation, and light frosts 
and red leaves warned the dwellers in tents 
and cabins to flee. 

Clover made her preparations for departure 
with real reluctance. She had grown very 
fond of the place ; but Phil was perfectly 
himself again, and there seemed no reason 
for their staying longer. 

So back to St. Helen’s they went and to 
Mrs. Marsh, who, in reply to Clover’s letter. 


252 


CLOYEE. 


had written that she must make room for 
them somehow., though for the life of her she 
couldn’t say how. It proved to be in two 
small back rooms. An irruption of Eastern 
invalids had filled the house to overflowing, 
and new faces met them at every turn. Two 
or three of the last summer’s inmates had 
died during their stay, — one of them the 
very sick man whose room Mrs. Watson had 
coveted. His death took place as if on pur- 
pose,” she told Clover, the very week after 
her removal to the Shoshone. 

Mrs. Watson herself was preparing for re- 
turn to the East. I ’ve seen the West now,” 
she said, — all I want to see ; and I ^m quite 
ready to go back to my own part of the coun- 
try. Ellen writes that she thinks I ’d better 
start for home so as to get settled before 
the cold — And it ’s so cold here that I 
can’t realize that they ’re still in the middle 
of peaches at home. Ellen always spices a 
great — They ’re better than preserves ; 
and as for the canned ones, why, peaches 
and water is what I call them. Well — my 


NO. 13 PIUTE STKEET. 


253 


dear — ’’ (Distance lends enchantment, and 
Clover had become My dear ” again.) I ’m 
glad I could come out and help you along ; 
and now that you know so many people here, 
you won’t need me so much as you did at first. 
I shall tell Mrs. Perkins to write to Mrs. Hall 
to tell your father how well your brother is 
looking, and I know he’ll be — And here ’s 
a little handkerchief for a keepsake.” 

It was a pretty handkerchief, of pale yel- 
low silk with embroidered corners, and Clover 
kissed the old lady as she thanked her, and 
they parted good friends. But their inter- 
course had led her to make certain firm 
resolutions. 

I will try to keep my mind clear and my 
talk clear; to learn what I want and what I 
have a right to want and what I mean to say, 
so as not to puzzle and worry people when 
I grow old, by being vague and helpless and 
fussy,” she reflected. suppose if I don’t 
form the habit now, I sha’n’t be able to then, 
and it would be dreadful to end by being like 
poor Mrs. Watson.” 


254 


CLOYEK. 


Altogether, Mrs. Marsh’s house had lost its 
homelike character; and it was not strange 
that under the circumstances Phil should flag 
a little. He was not ill, but he was out of 
sorts and dismal, and disposed, to consider the 
presence of so many strangers as a personal 
wrong. Clover felt that it was not a good 
atmosphere for him, and anxiously revolved 
in her mind what was best to do. The Sho- 
shone was much too expensive ; good board- 
ing-houses in St. Helen’s were few and far 
between, and all of them shared in a still 
greater degree the disadvantages which had 
made themselves felt at Mrs. Marsh’s. 

The solution to her puzzle came — as so- 
lutions often do — unexpectedly. She was 
walking down Piute Street on her way to call 
on Alice Blanchard, when her attention was 
attracted to a small, shut-up house, on which 
was a sign: ‘^No. 13. To Let, Furnished.” 
The sign was not printed, but written on 
a half-sheet of foolscap, which was what led 
Clover to notice it. 

She studied the house a while, then opened 


NO. 13 PIUTE STKEET. 


255 


the gate, and went in. Two or three steps 
led to a little piazza. She seated herself on 
the top step, and tried to peep in at the 
closed blinds of the nearest window. 

While she was doing so, a woman with a 
shawl over her head came hastily down a 
narrow side street or alley, and approached 
her. 

Oh, did you want the key ? ” she said. 
The key ? ” replied Clover, surprised ; 

of this house, do you mean ? ’’ 

Yes. Mis Starkey left it with me when 
she went away, because, she said, it was 
handy, and I coidd give it to anybody who 
wished to look at the place. You Ye the first 
that has come; so when I see you setting 
here, I just ran over. Did Mr. Beloit send 
you?” 

^^No; nobody sent me. Is it Mr. Beloit 
who has the letting of the house ? ” 

Yes ; but I can let folks in. I told Mis 
Starkey I’d air and dust a little now and 
then, if it was n’t took. Poor soul ! she 
was anxious enough about it; and it all had 


256 


CLOVER. 


to be done on a sudden, and sbe in such a 
heap of trouble that she did n’t know which 
way to turn. It was just lock-up and go ! ” 

Tell me about her/’ said Clover, making 
room on the step for the woman to sit down. 

Well, she come out last year with her 
man, who had lung trouble, and he was n’t no 
better at first, and then he seemed to pick up 
for a while ; and they took this house and 
fixed themselves to stay for a year, at least. 
They made it real nice, too, and slicked up 
considerable. Mis Starkey said, said she, ^ I 
don’t want to spend no more money on it 
than I can help, but Mr. Starkey must be 
made comfortable,’ says she, them was her 
very words. He used to set out on this stoop 
all day long in the summer, and she alongside 
him, except when she had to be indoors doing 
the work. She did n’t keep no regular help. 
I did the washing for her, and come in now 
and then for a day to clean ; so she managed 
very well. 

“ Then, — Wednesday before last, it was, — 
he had a bleeding, and sank away like all in a 


NO. 13 PIUTE STKEET. 


257 


minute, and was gone before the doctor could 
be had. Mis Starkey was all stunned like with 
the shock of it ; and before she had got her 
mind cleared up so 's to order about anything, 
come a telegraph to say her son was down 
with diphtheria, and his wife with a young 
baby, and both was very low. And between 
one and the other she was pretty near out of 
her wits. We packed her up as quick as we 
could, and he was sent off by express ; and 
she says to me, ^ Mis Kenny, you see how 
’t is. 1 Ve got this house on my hands till 
May. There ’s no time to see to anything, 
and I ’ve got no heart to care ; but if any 
one ’ll take it for the winter, well and good ; 
and I ’ll leave the sheets and table-cloths and 
everything in it, because it may make a dif- 
ference, and I don’t mind about them nohow. 
And if no one does take it, I ’ll just have to 
bear the loss,’ says she. Poor soul ! she was 
in a world of trouble, surely.” 

Do you know what rent she asks for the 
house ? ’’ said Clover, in whose mind a vague 
plan was beginning to take shape. 

17 


258 


CLOYEK. 


Twenty-five a month was what she paid ; 
and she said she’d throw the furniture in 
for the rest of the tiine^ just to get rid of the 
rent.” 

Clover reflected. Twenty-five dollars a 
week was what they were paying at Mrs. 
Marsh’s. Could they take this house and live 
on the same sum, after deducting the rent, 
and perhaps get this good-natured-looking 
woman to come in for a certain number of 
hours and help do the work? She almost 
fancied that they could if they kept no regu- 
lar servant. 

I think I would like to see the house,” she 
said at last, after a silent calculation and a 
scrutinizing look at Mrs. Kenny, who was a 
faded, wiry, but withal kindly-looking person, 
shrewd and clean, — a North of Ireland Protes- 
tant, as she afterward told Clover. In fact, 
her accent was rather Scotch than Irish. 

They went in. The front door opened 
into a minute hall, from which another door 
led into a back hall with a staircase. There 
was a tiny sitting-room, an equally tiny din- 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


259 


ing-room, a small kitchen, and above, two 
bedrooms and a sort of unplastered space, 
which would answer to put trunks in. That 
was all, save a little woodshed. Everything 
was bare and scanty and rather particularly 
ugly. The sitting-room had a frightful paper 
of mingled mustard and molasses tint, and a 
matted floor ; but there was a good-sized 
open fireplace for the burning of wood, in 
which two bricks did duty for andirons, three 
or four splint and cane bottomed chairs, a 
lounge, and a table, while the pipe of the 
large Morning-glory ’’ stove in the dining- 
room expanded into a sort of drum in the 
chamber above. This secured a warm sleep- 
ing place for Phil. Clover began to think 
that they could make it do. 

Mrs. Kenny, who evidently considered the 
house as a wonder of luxury and convenience, 
opened various cupboards, and pointed ad- 
miringly to the glass and china, the kitchen 
tins and utensils, and the cotton sheets and 
pillow-cases which they respectively held. 

There ’s water laid on,’’ she said ; you 


260 


CLOVER. 


don’t have to pump any. Here ’s the wash- 
tubs in the shed. That ’s a real nice tin 
boiler for the clothes, — I never see a nicer. 
Mis Starkey had that heater in the dining- 
room set the very week before she went away. 
^ Winter ’s coming on,’ she says, ^ and I must 
see about keeping my husband w^arm ; ’ never 
thinking, poor thing, how ’t was to be.” 

Does this chimney draw ? ” asked the 
practical Clover ; and does the kitchen stove 
bake well ? ” 

First-rate. I Ve seen Mis Starkey take 
her biscuits out many a time, — as nice a 
brown as ever you ’d want ; and the chimney 
don’t smoke a mite. They kep’ a wood fire 
here in May most all the time, so I know.” 

Clover thought the matter over for a day 
or two, consulted with Dr. Hope, and finally 
decided to try the experiment. No. 13 was 
taken, and Mrs. Kenny engaged for two days’ 
work each week, with such other occasional 
assistance as Clover might require. She was 
a widow, it seemed, with one son, who, being 
employed on the railroad, only came home 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


261 


for the nights. She was glad of a regular en- 
gagement, and proved an excellent stand-by 
and a great help to Clover, to whom she had 
taken a fancy from the start ; and many were 
the good turns which she did for love rather 
than hire for my little Miss,’’ as she called 
her. 

To Phil the plan seemed altogether de- 
lightful. This was natural, as all the fun fell 
to his share and none of the trouble ; a fact 
of which Mrs. Hope occasionally reminded 
him. Clover persisted, however, that it was 
all fair, and that she got lots of fun out of 
it too, and did n’t mind the trouble. The 
house was so absurdly small that it seemed to 
strike every one as a good joke ; and Clover’s 
friends set themselves to help in the prepa- 
rations, as if the establishment in Piute Street 
were a kind of baby-house about which they 
could amuse themselves at will. 

It is a temptation always to make a house 
pretty, but Clover felt herself on honor to 
spend no more than was necessary. Papa 
had trusted her, and she was resolved to jus- 


262 


CLOYER. 


tify his trust. So she bravely withstood her 
desire for several things which would have 
been great improvements so far as looks 
went, and confined her purchases to articles 
of clear necessity, — extra blankets, a bedside 
carpet for Phil’s room, and a chafing-dish 
over which she could prepare little impromptu 
dishes, and so save fuel and fatigue. She 
allowed herself some cheap Madras curtains 
for the parlor, and a few yards of deep-red 
flannel to cover sundry shelves and corner 
brackets which Geoffrey Templestowe, who 
had a turn for carpentry, put up for her. 
Various loans and gifts, too, appeared from 
friendly attics and store-rooms to help out. 
Mrs. Hope hunted up some old iron fire- 
dogs and a pair of bellows. Poppy contributed 
a pair of brass-knobbed tongs, and Mrs. Marsh 
lent her a lamp. No. 13 began to look 
attractive. 

They were nearly ready, but not yet moved 
in, when one day as Clover stood in the queer 
little parlor, contemplating the effect of 
Geoff’s last effort, — an extra pine shelf above 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


263 


the narrow mantel-shelf, — a pair of arms 
stole round her waist, and a cheek which had 
a sweet familiarity about it was pressed against 
hers. She turned, and gave a great shriek 
of amazement and joy, for it was her sister 
Katy’s arms that held her. Beyond, in the 
doorway, were Mrs. Ashe and Amy, with Phil 
between them. 

Is it you ; is it really you ? ’’ cried Clover, 
laughing and sobbing all at once in her happy 
excitement. How did it happen ? I never 
knew that you were coming.” 

Neither did we ; it all happened sud- 
denly,” explained Katy. The ship was or- 
dered to New York on three days’ notice, and 
as soon as Ned sailed, Polly and I made haste 
to follow. There would have been just time 
to get a letter here if we had written at once, 
but I had the fancy to give you a surprise.” 

Oh, it is such a nice surprise ! But when 
did you come, and where are you ? ” 

At the Shoshone House, — at least our 
bags are there \ but we only stayed a minute, 
we were in such a hurry to get to you. We 


264 


CLOYEK. 


went to Mrs. Marsh’s and found Phil, who 
brought us here. Have you really taken this 
funny little house, as Phil tells us ? ” 

We really have. Oh, what a comfort it 
will be to tell you all about it, and have you 
say if I have done right ! Dear, dear Katy, I 
feel as if home had just arrived by train. 
And Polly, too ! You all look so well, and as 
if California had agreed with you. Amy has 
grown so that I should scarcely have known 
her.” 

Four delightful days followed. Katy flung 
herself into all Clover’s plans with the full 
warmth of sisterly interest; and though the 
Hopes and other kind friends made many 
hospitable overtures, and would gladly have 
turned her short visit into a continuous fete, 
she persisted in keeping the main part of 
her time free. She must see a little of St. 
Helen’s, she declared, so as to be able to 
tell her father about it, and she must help 
Clover to get to housekeeping, — these were 
the important things, and nothing else must 
interfere with them. 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


265 


Most effectual assistance did she render in 
the way of unpacking and arranging. More 
than that, one day, when Clover, rather to 
her own disgust, had been made to go with 
Polly and Amy to Denver while Katy stayed 
behind, lo ! on her return, a transformation 
had taken place, and the ugly paper in the 
parlor of No. 13 was found replaced with one 
of warm, sunny gold-brown. 

^^Oh, why did you?” cried Clover. ^^It’s 
only for a few months, and the other would 
have answered perfectly well. Why did you, 
Katy ? ” 

I suppose it was foolish,” Katy admitted ; 
but somehow I could n’t bear to have you sit- 
ting opposite that deplorable mustard-colored 
thing all winter long. And really and truly it 
hardly cost anything. It was a remnant re- 
duced to ten cents a roll, — the whole thing 
was less than four dollars. You can call it your 
Christmas present from me, if you like, and I 
shall ^ play ’ besides that the other paper had 
arsenic in it ; I ’m sure it looked as if it had, 
and corrosive sublimate, too.” 


266 


CLOVER. 


Clover laughed outright. It was so funny 
to hear Katy’s fertility of excuse. 

You dear, ridiculous darling ! ’’ she said, 
giving her sister a good hug ; it was just 
like you, and though I scold I am perfectly 
delighted. I did hate that paper with all my 
heart, and this is lovely. It makes the room 
look like a different thing.” 

Other benefactions followed. Polly, it ap- 
peared, had bought more Indian curiosities in 
Denver than she knew what to do with, and 
begged permission to leave a big bear-skin 
and two wolf-skins with Clover for the winter, 
and a splendid striped Navajo blanket as a por- 
tiere to keep off draughts from the entry. 
Katy had set herself up in California blankets 
while they were in San Francisco, and she now 
insisted on leaving a pair behind, and loaning 
Clover besides one of two beautiful Japanese 
silk pictures which Ned had given her, and 
which made a fine spot of color on the pretty 
new wall. There were presents in her trunks 
for all at home, and Ned had sent Clover a 
beautiful lacquered box. 


NO. 13 PIUTE STKEET. 


267 


Somehow Clover seemed like a new and 
doubly-interesting Clover to Katy. She was 
struck by the self-reliance which had grown 
upon her, by her bright ways and the capac- 
ity and judgment which all her arrangements 
exhibited ; and she listened with delight to 
Mrs. Hope’s praises of her sister. 

She really is a wonderful little creature ; 
so wise and judgmatical, and yet so pretty and 
full of fun. People are quite cracked about 
her out here. I don’t think you ’ll ever get her 
back at the East again, Mrs. Worthington. 
There seems a strong determination on the 
part of several persons to keep her here.’’ 

What do you mean ? ” 

But Mrs. Hope, who believed in the old 
proverb about not addling eggs by med- 
dling with them prematurely, refused to say 
another word. Clover, when questioned, 
could not imagine what Mrs. Hope meant ; ” 
and Katy had to go away with her curi- 
osity unsatisfied. Clarence came in once 
while she was there, but she did not see 
Mr. Templestowe. 


268 


CLOVER. 


Katy’s last gift to Clover was a pretty 
tea-pot of Japanese ware. I meant it for 
Cecy,” she explained. "But as you have 
none 1 11 give it to you instead, and take 
her the fan I meant for you. It seems more 
appropriate.’' 

Phil and Clover moved into No. 13 the 
day before the Eastern party left, so as to 
be able to celebrate the occasion by having 
them all to an impromptu house-warming. 
There was not much to eat, and things were 
still a little unsettled ; but Clover scrambled 
some eggs on her little blazer for them, the 
newly-lit fire burned cheerfully, and a good 
deal of quiet fun went on about it. Amy 
was so charmed with the minute establish- 
ment that she declared she meant to have 
one exactly like it for Mabel whenever she 
got married. 

And a spirit-lamp, too, just like Clover’s, 
and a cunning, teeny-weeny kitchen and 
a stove to boil things on. Mamma, when 
shall I be old enough to have a house all of 
my own ? ” 


NO. 13 PIUTE STKEET. 


269 


Not till you are tired of playing with 
dolls, I am afraid.’’ 

Well, that will be never. If I thought I 
ever could be tired of Mabel, I should be so 
ashamed of myself that I should not know 
what to do. You ought n’t to say such things, 
Mamma ; she might hear you, too, and have 
her feelings hurt. And please don’t call her 
that'' said Amy, who had as strong an ob- 
jection to the word doll ” as mice are said 
to have to the word cat.” 

Next morning the dear home people pro- 
ceeded on their way, and Clover fell to work 
resolutely on her housekeeping, glad to keep 
busy, for she had a little fear of being home- 
sick for Katy. Every small odd and end that 
she had brought with her from Burnet came 
into play now. The photographs were pinned 
on the wall, the few books and ornaments 
took their places on the extemporized shelves 
and on the table, which, thanks to Mrs. Hope, 
was no longer bare, but hidden by a big 
square of red canton flannel. There was 
almost always a little bunch of flowers from 


270 


CLOYEK. 


the Wade greenhouses, which were supposed 
to come from Mrs. Wade ; and altogether the 
effect was cosey, and the little interior looked 
absolutely pretty, though the result was at- 
tained by such very simple means. 

Phil thought it heavenly to be by them- 
selves and out of the reach of strangers. 
Everything tasted delicious ; all the arrange- 
ments pleased him ; never was boy so easily 
suited as he for those first few weeks at 
No. 13. 

You ’re awfully good to me. Clover,” he 
said one night rather suddenly, from the 
depths of his rocking-chair. 

The remark was so little in Phil’s line that 
it quite made her jump. 

‘‘Why, Phil, what made you say that?” 
she asked. 

“ Oh, I don’t know. I was thinking about 
it. We used to call Katy the nicest, but 
you ’re just as good as she is. [This Clover 
justly considered a tremendous compliment.] 
You always make a fellow feel like home, as 
Geoff Templestowe says.” 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


271 


Did Geoff say that ? ” with a warm sense 
of gladness at her heart. How nice of him ! 
What made him say it ? ” 

Oh, I don’t know ; it was up in the can- 
yon one day when we got to talking,” re- 
plied Phil. There are no flies on you, he 
considers. I asked him once if he didn’t 
think Miss Chase pretty, and he said not 
half so pretty as you were.” 

Keally ! You seem to have been very 
confidential. And what is that about flies? 
Phil, Phil, you really must n’t use such slang.” 

I suppose it is slang ; but it ’s an awfully 
nice expression anyway.” 

But what does it mean ? ” 

Oh, you must see just by the sound of it 
what it means, — that there ’s no nonsense 
sticking out all over you like some of the 
girls. It ’s a great compliment ! ” 

^^Is it? Well, I’m glad to know. But 
Mr. Templestowe never used such a phrase, 
I’m sure.” 

No, he did n’t,” admitted Phil ; “ but 
that ’s what he meant.” 


272 


CLOVER. 


So the winter drew on, — the strange, beau- 
tiful Colorado winter, — with weeks of golden 
sunshine broken by occasional storms of wind 
and sand, or by skurries of snow which made 
the plains white for a few hours and then 
vanished, leaving them dry and firm as before. 
The nights were often cold, — so cold that 
comfortables and blankets seemed all too few, 
and Clover roused with a shiver to think that 
presently it would be her duty to get up and 
start the fires so that Phil might find a warm 
house when he came downstairs. Then, be- 
fore she knew it, fires would seem oppressive ; 
first one window and then another would be 
thrown up, and Phil would be sitting on the 
piazza in the balmy sunshine as comfortable 
as on a June morning at home. It was a 
wonderful climate; and as Clover wrote her 
father, the winter was better even than the 
summer, and was certainly doing Phil more 
good. He was able to spend hours every day 
in the open air, walking, or riding Dr. Hope’s 
horse, and improved steadily. Clover felt 
very happy about him. 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


273 


This early rising and fire-making were the 
hardest things she had to encounter, though 
all the housekeeping proved more onerous 
than, in her inexperience, she had expected 
it to be. After the first week or two, how- 
ever, she managed very well, and gradually 
learned the little labor-saving ways which can 
only be learned by actual experiment. Get- 
ting breakfast and tea she enjoyed, for they 
could be chiefly managed by the use of the 
chafing-dish. Dinners were more difficult, 
till she hit on the happy idea of having Mrs. 
Kenny roast a big piece of beef or mutton, or 
a pair of fowls every Monday. These pieces 
de resistance in their different stages of hot, 
cold, and warmed over, carried them well 
along through the week, and, supplemented 
with an occasional chop or steak, served very 
well. Fairly good soups could be bought in 
tins, which needed only to be seasoned and 
heated for use on table. Oysters were eas- 
ily procurable there, as everywhere in the 
West ; good brown-bread and rolls came from 
the bakery ; and Clover developed a hitherto 
18 


274 


CLOYEE. 


dormant talent for cookery and the making of 
Graham gems, corn-dodgers, hoe-cakes baked 
on a barrel head before the parlor fire, and 
wonderful little flaky biscuits raised all in a 
minute with Koyal Baking Powder. 

She also became expert in that other fine 
art of condensing work, and making it move 
in easy grooves. Her tea things she washed 
with her breakfast things, just setting the 
cups and plates in the sink for the night, 
pouring a dipper full of boiling water over 
them. There was no silver to care for, no 
delicate glass or valuable china; the very 
simplicity of apparatus made the ^ house an 
easy one to keep. Clover was kept busy, for 
simplify as you will, providing for the daily 
needs of two persons does take time ; but she 
liked her cares and rarely felt tired. The 
elastic and vigorous air seemed to build up 
her forces from moment to moment, and each 
day’s fatigues were more than repaired by 
each night’s rest, which is the balance of true 
health in living. 

Little pleasures came from time to time. 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 


275 


Christmas Day they spent with the Hopes, 
who from first to last proved the kindest and 
most helpful of friends to them. The young 
men from the High Valley were there also, 
and the day was brightly kept, — from the 
home letters by the early mail to the grand 
merry-making and dance with which it wound 
up. Everybody had some little present for 
everybody else. Mrs. Wade sent Clover a tall 
india-rubber plant in a china pot, which made 
a spire of green in the south window for the 
rest of the winter ; and Clover had spent many 
odd moments and stitches in the fabrication 
of a gorgeous Mexican-worked sideboard cloth 
for the Hopes. 

But of all Clover’s offerings the one which 
pleased her most, as showing a close obser- 
vation of her needs, came from Geoff Tem- 
plestowe. It was a prosaic gift, being a 
wagon-load of pinon wood for the fire ; but 
the gnarled, oddly twisted sticks were heaped 
high with pine boughs and long trails of red- 
fruited kinnikinnick to serve as a Christmas 
dressing, and somehow the gift gave Clover 
a peculiar pleasure. 


276 


CLOVER. 


How dear of him ! ’’ she thought, lifting 
one of the big pinon logs with a gentle touch ; 
“ and how like him to think of it ! I wonder 
what makes him so different from other peo- 
ple. He never says fine flourishing things 
like Thurber Wade, or abrupt, rather rude 
things like Clarence, or inconsiderate things 
like Phil, or satirical, funny things like the 
doctor ; but he ’s always doing something 
kind. He ’s a little bit like papa, I think ; 
and yet I don’t know. I wish Katy could 
have seen him.” 

Life at St. Helen’s in the winter season is 
never dull; but the gayest fortnight of all 
was when, late in January, the High Valley 
partners deserted their duties and came in for 
a visit to the Hopes. All sorts of small festiv- 
ities had been saved for this special fortnight, 
and among the rest. Clover and Phil gave a 
party. 

If you can squeeze into the dining-room, 
and if you can do with just cream-toast for 
tea,” she explained, “ it would be such fun to 
have you come. I can’t give you anything to 
eat to speak of, because I have n’t any cook, 


NO. 13 PIUTE STREET. 277 

you know ; but you can all eat a great deal 
of dinner, and then you won’t starve.” 

Thurber Wade, the Hopes, Clarence, Geoff, 
Marian, and Alice made a party of nine, 
and it was hard work indeed to squeeze so 
many into the tiny dining-room of No. 13. 
The very difficulties, however, made it all the 
jollier. Clover’s cream-toast, — which she pre- 
pared before their eyes on the blazer, — her 
little tarts made of crackers split, buttered, and 
toasted brown with a spoonful of raspberry 
jam in each, and the big loaf of hot ginger- 
bread to be eaten with thick cream from the 
High Yalley, were pronounced each in its way 
to be absolute perfection. Clarence and Phil 
kindly volunteered to shunt the dishes” into 
the kitchen after the repast was concluded; 
and they gathered round the fire to play 
twenty questions ” and stage-coach,” and 
all manner of what Clover called lead-pencil 
games,” — crambo ” and “ criticism ” and 
anagrams ” and consequences.” There 
was immense laughter over some of these, as, 
for instance, when Dr. Hope was reported as 


278 


CLOYEK. 


having met Mrs. Watson in the North Chey- 
enne Canyon, and he said that knowledge is 
power ; and she, that when larks flew round 
ready roasted poor folks could stick a fork in ; 
and the consequence was that they eloped 
together to a Cannibal Island where each suf- 
fered a process of disillusionation, and the 
world said it was the natural result of oscu- 
lation. This last sentence was Phil’s, and 
I fear he had peeped a little, or his context 
would not have been so apropos ; but alto- 
gether the cream-toast swarry,” as he called 
it, was a pronounced success. 

It was not long after this that a mysterious 
little cloud of difference seemed to fall on 
Thurber Wade. He ceased to call at No. 13, 
or to bring flowers from his mother ; and by- 
and-by it was learned that he had started for 
a visit to the East. No one knew what had 
caused these phenomena, though some people 
may have suspected. Later it was announced 
that he was in Chicago and very attentive to 
a pretty Miss Somebody whose father had 
made a great deal of money in Standard oil. 


NO. 13 PIUTE STKEET. 


279 


Poppy arched her brows and made great 
amused eyes at Clover, trying to entangle 
her into admissions as to this or that, and 
Clarence experimented in the same direction ; 
but Clover was innocently impervious to these 
efforts, and no one ever knew what had hap- 
pened between her and Thurber, — if, indeed, 
anything had happened. ^ 

So May came to St. Helen’s in due course 
of time. The sand-storms and the snow-storms 
were things of the past, the tawny yellow of 
the plains began to flush with green, and every 
day the sun grew more warm and beautiful. 
Phil seemed perfectly well and sound now; 
their occupancy of No. 13 was drawing to a 
close ; and Clover, as she reflected that Col- 
orado would soon be a thing of the past, and 
must be left behind, was sensible of a little 
sinking of the heart even though she and 
Phil were going home. 


CHAPTEE XI. 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAYES. 



AST days are very apt to be hard 
days. As the time drew near for 
quitting No. 13, Clover was con- 
scious of a growing reluctance. 

‘‘1 wonder why it is that I mind it so 
much?” she asked herself. Phil has got 
well here, to be sure ; that would be enough 
of itself to make me fond of the place, and 
we have had a happy winter in this little 
house. But still, papa, Elsie, John, — it seems 
very queer .that I am not gladder to go back 
to them. I can’t account for it. It is n’t 
natural, and it seems wrong in me.” 

It was a rainy afternoon in which Clover 
made these reflections. Phil, weary of being 
shut indoors, had donned ulster and overshoes, 
and gone up to make a call on Mrs. Hope. 


THE LAST OF THE CLOYER-LEAYES. 281 

CloYer was quite alone in the house, as she 
sat with her mending-basket beside the fire- 
place, in which was burning the last but three 
of the pinon logs, — Geoff Templestowe’s 
Christmas present. 

They will just last us out,” reflected 
CloYer ; what a comfort they haYe been 1 
I would like to carry the Yery last of them 
home with me, and keep it to look at ; but 
I suppose it would be silly.” 

She looked about the little room. Nothing 
as yet had been moYed or disturbed, though 
the next week would bring their term of 
occupancy to a close. 

This is a good eYening to begin to take 
things down and pack them,” she thought. 

No one is likely to come in, and Phil is 
away.” 

She rose from her chair, moYed restlessly 
to and fro, and at last leaned forward and 
unpinned a corner of one of the photo- 
graphs on the wall. She stood for a moment 
irresolutely with the pin in her fingers, then 
she jammed it determinedly back into the 


282 


CLOVER. 


photograph again, and returned to her sew- 
ing. I almost think there were tears in her 
eyes. 

she said half aloud, won’t spoil 
it yet. We ’ll have one more pleasant night 
with everything just as it is, and then I ’ll 
go to work and pull all to pieces at once. 
It ’s the easiest way.’’ 

Just then a foot sounded on the steps, and 
a knock was heard. Clover opened the door, 
and gave an exclamation of pleasure. It was 
Geoffrey Templestowe, splashed and wet from 
a muddy rid-e down the pass, but wearing a 
very bright face. 

How nice and unexpected this is ! ” was 
Clover's greeting. “ It is such a bad day that 
I did n’t suppose you or Clarence could pos- 
sibly get in. Come to the fire and warm 
yourself. Is he here too ? ” 

No ; he is out at the ranch. I came in 
to meet a man on business; but it seems 
there ’s a wash-out somewhere between here 
and Santa Fe, and my man telegraphs that he 
can’t get through till to-morrow noon.” 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAVES. 283 

“ So you will spend the night in town.’' 

Yes. I took Marigold to the stable, and 
spoke to Mrs. Marsh about a room, and then 
I walked up to see you and Phil. How is 
he, by the way ? ” 

Quite well. I never saw him so strong 
or so jolly. Papa will hardly believe his 
eyes when we get back. He has gone up to 
the Hopes, but will be in presently. You ’ll 
stay and take tea with us, of course.” 

Thanks, if you will have me ; I was hop- 
ing to be asked.” 

Oh, we 're only too glad to have you. 
Our time here is getting so short that we 
want to make the very most of all our friends ; 
and by good luck there is a can of oysters in 
the house, so I can give you something hot.” 

Do you really go so soon ? ” 

Our lease is out next week, you know.” 

Keally ; so soon as that ? ” 

It isn’t soon. We have lived here nearly 
eight months.” 

What a good time we have all had in this 
little house ! ” cried Geoff, regretfully. It 


284 


CLOVEK. 


has been a sort of warm little centre to us 
homeless people all winter/' 

You don’t count yourself among the 
homeless ones, I hope, with such a pleasant 
place as the High Valley to live in.” 

Oh, the hut is all very well in its way, of 
course ; but I don’t look at it as a home ex- 
actly. It answers to eat and sleep in, and for 
a shelter when it rains ; but you can’t make 
much more of it than that. The only time it 
ever seemed home-like in the least was when 
you and Mrs. Hope were there. That week 
spoiled it for me for all time.” 

That ’s a pity, if it ’s true, but I hope it 
is n’t. It was a delightful week, though ; and 
I think you do the valley an injustice. It’s 
a beautiful place. Now, if you will excuse 
me, I am going to get supper.” 

Let me help you.” 

Oh, there is almost nothing to do. I ’d 
much rather you would sit still and rest. You 
are tired from your ride, I ’m sure ; and if 
you don’t mind, I ’ll bring my blazer and 
cook the oysters here by the fire. I always 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVEK-LEAYES. 285 

did like to ^ kitcli in the dining-room/ as Mrs. 
Whitney calls it.’' 

Clover had set the tea-table before she sat 
down to sew, so there really was almost noth- 
ing to do. Geoff lay back in his chair and 
looked on with a sort of dreamy pleasure as 
she went lightly to and fro, making her ar- 
rangements, which, simple as they were, had 
a certain dainty quality about them which 
seemed peculiar to all that Clover did, — 
twisted a trail of kinnikinnick about the 
butter-plate, laid a garnish of fresh parsley 
on the slices of cold beef, and set a glass full 
of wild crocuses in the middle of the table. 
Then she returned to the parlor, put the ket- 
tle, which had already begun to sing, on the 
fire, and began to stir and season her oysters, 
which presently sent out a savory smell. 

I have learned six ways of cooking 
oysters this winter,” she announced glee- 
fully. ^^This is a dry-pan-roast. I wonder 
if you ’ll approve of it. And I wonder why 
Phil does n’t come. I wish he would make 
haste, for these are nearly done.” 


286 


CLOVER. 


There he is now/’ remarked Geoff. 

But instead it was Dr. Hope’s office-boy 
with a note. 

Dear C., — Mrs. Hope wants me for a fourth 
hand at whist, so I ’m staying, if you don’t mind. 
She says if it did n’t pour so she ’d ask you to 
come too. P. 

Well, I ’in glad,” said Clover. It ’s been 
a dull day for him, and now he ’ll have a pleas- 
ant evening, only he ’ll miss you.” 

call it very inconsiderate of the little 
scamp,” observed Geoff. He does n’t know 
but that he ’s leaving you to spend the even- 
ing quite alone.” 

Oh, boys don’t think of things like that.’^ 

Boys ought to, then. However, I can 
stand his absence, if you can ! ” 

It was a very merry little meal to which 
they presently sat down, full of the charm 
which the unexpected brings with it. Clover 
had grown to regard Geoff as one of her very 
best friends, and was perfectly at her ease 
with him, while to him, poor lonely fellow, 
such a glimpse of cosey home-life was like a 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAVES. 287 

peep at Paradise. He prolonged the pleasure 
as much as possible, ate each oyster slowly, 
descanting on its flavor, and drank more cups 
of tea than were at all good for him, for the 
pleasure of having Clover pour them out. He 
made no further offers of help when supper 
was ended, but looked on with fascinated eyes 
as she cleared away and made things tidy. 

At last she finished and came back to the 
fire. There was a silence. Geoff was first to 
break it. It would seem like a prison to 
you, I am afraid,” he said abruptly. 

What would ? ” 

" I was thinking of what you said about the 
High Valley.” 

Oh ! ” 

You Ve only seen it in summer, you 
know. It ’s quite a different place in the 
winter. I don’t believe a — person — could 
live on the year round and be contented.” 

“ It would depend upon the person, of 
course.” 

If it were a lady, — yourself, for instance, 
— could it be made anyway tolerable, do you 


288 


CLOYER. 


think ? Of course, one might get away now 
and then — 

I don’t know. It ’s not easy to tell be- 
forehand how people are going to feel ; but 
I can’t imagine the High Yalley ever seem- 
ing like a prison, ” replied Clover, vexed to 
find herself blushing, and yet unable to help 
it, Geoffs manner had such an odd intensity 
in it. 

If I were sure that you could realize 
what it would be — ” he began impetuously ; 
then quieting himself, but you don’t. How 
could you ? Ranch life is well enough in 
summer for a short time by way of a frolic ; 
but in winter and spring with the Upper Can- 
yon full of snow, and the road down muddy 
and slippery, and the storms and short days, 
and the sense of being shut in and lonely, it 
would be a dismal place for a lady. Nobody 
has a right to expect a woman to undergo 
such a life.” 

Clover absorbed herself in her sewing, she 
did not speak ; but still that deep uncomfort- 
able blush burned on her cheeks. 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAVES. 289 

What do you think ? ” persisted Geoff. 
Would n’t it be inexcusable selfishness in a 
man to ask such a thing ? ” 

think/' said Clover, shyly and softly, 
that a man has a right to ask for whatever 
he wants, and — ” she paused. 

And — what ? ” urged Geoff, bending 
forward. 

Well, a woman has always the right 
to say no, if she does n't want to say 
yes." 

You tempt me awfully," cried Geoff, start- 
ing up. When I think what this place is 
going to seem like after you 've gone, and 
what the ranch will be with all the heart 
taken from it, and the loneliness made twice 
as lonely by comparison, I grow desperate, 
and feel as if I could not let you go without 
at least risking the question. But Clover, — 
let me call you so this once, — no woman could 
consent to such a life unless she cared very 
much for a man. Could you ever love me 
well enough for that, do you think ? " 

It seems to me a very unfair sort of ques- 

19 


290 


CLOVER. 


tion to put,” said Clover, with a mischievous 
glint in her usually soft eyes. Suppose I 
said I could, and then you turned round and 
remarked that you were ever so sorry that 
you could n’t reciprocate my feelings — ” 

Clover,” catching her hand, how can 
you torment me so ? Is it necessary that I 
should tell you that I love you with every bit 
of heart that is in me, and need you and 
want you and long for you, but have never 
dared to hope that you could want me ? Love- 
liest, sweetest, I do, and I always shall, whether 
it is yes or no.” 

“Then, Geoff — if you feel like that — if 
you ’re quite sure you feel like that, I 
think — ” 

“ What do you think, dearest ? ” 

“ I think — that I could be very happy 
even in winter — in the High Valley.” 

And papa and the children, and the lonely 
and far-away feelings ? There was never a 
mention of them in this frank acceptance. 
Oh, Clover, Clover, circumstances do alter 
cases ! 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAVES. 291 

Mrs. Hope’s rubber of whist seemed a long 
one, for Phil did not get home till a quarter 
before eleven, by which time the two by the 
fire had settled the whole progress of their 
future lives, while the last logs of the pinon 
wood crackled, smouldered, and at length 
broke apart into flaming brands. In imag- 
ination the little ranch house had thrown 
out as many wings and as easily as a newly- 
hatched dragon-fly, had been beautified and 
made convenient in all sorts of ways, — a 
flower-garden had sprouted round its base, 
plenty of room had been made for papa and 
the children and Katy and Ned, who were 
to come out continually for visits in the 
long lovely summers ; they themselves also 
were to go to and fro, — to Burnet, and still 
farther afield, over seas to the old Devonshire 
grange which Geoff remembered so fondly. 

How my mother and Isabel will delight 
in you,” he said ; and the squire ! You are 
precisely the girl to take his fancy. We ’ll 
go over and see them as soon as we can, 
won’t we. Clover?” 


292 


CLOVER. 


Clover listened delightedly to all these 
schemes, but through them all, like that 
young Irish lady who went over the mar- 
riage service with her lover adding at the 
end of every clause, Provided my father 
gives his consent,” she interposed a little 
running thread of protest, — If papa is will- 
ing. You know, Geoff, I can't really promise 
anything till I 've talked with papa.” 

It was settled that until Dr. Carr had been 
consulted, the affair was not to be called an 
engagement, or spoken of to any one ; only 
Clover asked Geoff to tell Clarence all about 
it at once. 

The thought of Clarence was, in truth, the 
one cloud in her happiness just then. It was 
impossible to calculate how he would take the 
news. If it made him angry or very un- 
happy, if it broke up his friendship with Geoff, 
and perhaps interfered with their partner- 
ship so that one or other of them must leave 
the High Valley, Clover felt that it would 
grievously mar her contentment. There was 
no use in planning anything till they knew 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVEK-LEAVES. 293 ^ 

how he would feel and act. In any case, 
she realized that they were bound to consider 
him before themselves, and make it as easy 
and as little painful as possible. If he were 
vexatious, they must be patient ; if sulky, 
they must be forbearing. 

Phil opened his eyes very wide at the pair 
sitting so coseyly over the fire when at last 
he came in. 

‘^I say, have you been here all the even- 
ing?” he cried. Well, that’s a sell! I 
would n’t have gone out if I ’d known.” 

We ’ve missed you very much,” quoth 
Geoff; and then he laughed as at some ex- 
tremely good joke, and Clover laughed too. • 
You seem to have kept up your spirits 
pretty well, considering,” remarked Phil, dry- 
ly. Boys of eighteen are not apt to enjoy 
jokes which do not originate with themselves; 
they are suspicious of them. 

I suppose I must go now,” said Geoff, 
looking at his watch ; but I shall see you 
again before I leave. I ’ll come in to-morrow 
after I ’ve met my man.” 


.294 


CLOVER. 


All right,” said Phil ; I won’t go out till 
you come.” 

Oh, pray don’t feel obliged to stay in. I 
can’t at all tell when I shall be able to get 
through with the fellow.” 

Come to dinner if you can,” suggested 
Clover. Phil is sure to be at home then.” 

Lovers are like ostriches. Geoff went 
away just shaking hands casually, and was 
very particular to say Miss Carr ; ” and 
he and Clover felt that they had managed 
so skilfully and concealed their secret so 
well ; yet the first remark made by Phil as 
the door shut was, Geoff seems queer to- 
night, somehow, and so do you. What have 
you been talking about all the evening ? ” 

An observant younger brother is a difficult 
factor in a love affair. 

Two days passed. Clover looked in vain 
for a note from the High Valley to say how 
Clarence had borne the revelation ; and she 
grew more nervous with every hour. It 
was absolutely necessary now to dismantle 
the house, and she found a certain relief in 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAVES. 295 

keeping exceedingly busy. Somehow the 
break-up had lost its inexplicable pain, and 
a glad little voice sang all the time at her 
heart, “ I shall come back ; I shall certainly 
come back. Papa will let me, I am sure, 
when he knows Geoff, and how nice he is.” 

She was at the dining-table wrapping a 
row of books in paper ready for packing, 
when a step sounded, and glancing round 
she saw Clarence himself standing in the 
doorway. He did not look angry, as she had 
feared he might, or moody ; and though he 
avoided her eye at first, his face was resolute 
and kind. 

Geoff has told me,^’ were his first words. 

I know from what he said that you, and he 
too, are afraid that I shall make myself dis- 
agreeable ; so I ’ve come in to say that I shall 
do nothing of the kind.” 

Dear Clarence, that was n’t what Geoff 
meant, or I either,” said Clover, with a rush 
of relief, and holding out both her hands to 
him ; what-we were afraid of was that you 
might be unhappy.” 


296 


CLOYEE. 


“ Well/’ in a husky tone, and holding the 
little hands very tight, “ it is n’t easy, of 
course, to give up a hope. I ’ve held on to 
mine all this time, though I ’ve told myself a 
hundred times that I Avas a fool for doing so, 
and though I knew in my heart it was no use. 
Now I ’ve had two days to think it over and 
get past the first shock, and. Clover, I ’ve de- 
cided. You and Geoff are the best friends 
I’ve got in the world. I never seemed to 
make friends, somehow. Till you came to 
Hillsover that time nobody liked me much ; 
I don’t know why. I can’t get along Avith- 
out you two ; so I give you up without any 
hard feeling, and I mean to be as jolly as I 
can about it. After all, to have you at the 
High Valley will be a sort of happiness, even 
if you don’t come for my sake exactly,” with 
an attempt at a laugh. 

Clarence, you really are a dear boy ! I 
can’t tell you how I thank you, and how I 
admire you for being so nice about this.” 

Then that ’s worth something, too. I ’d 
do a good deal to win your approval. 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVEE-LEAVES. 297 

Clover. So it's all settled. Don't worry 
about me, or be afraid that I shall spoil your 
comfort with sour looks. If I find I can't 
stand it, I 'll go away for a while ; but I 
don't think it 'll come to that. You ’ll make 
a real home out of the ranch house, and 
you ’ll let me have my share of your life, and 
be a brother to you and Geoff ; and I 'll try 
to be a good one." 

Clover was touched to the heart by these 
manful words so gently spoken. 

^^You shall be our dear special brother 
always," she said. Only this was needed 
to make me quite happy. I am so glad you 
don't want to go away and leave us, or to 
have us leave you. We'll make the ranch 
over into the dearest little home in the world, 
and be so cosey there all together, and papa 
and the others shall come out for visits ; and 
you 'll like them so much, I know, Elsie 
especially." 

Does she look like you ? " 

Not a bit ; she 's ever so much prettier." 

I don't believe a word of that." 


298 


CLOVER. 


Clover’s heart being thus lightened of its 
only burden by this treaty of mutual amity, 
she proceeded joyously with her packing. 
Mrs. Hope said she was not half sorry enough 
to go away, and Poppy upbraided her as a gay 
deceiver without any conscience or affections. 
She laughed and protested and denied, but 
looked so radiantly satisfied the w^hile as to 
give a fair color for her friends’ accusations, 
especially as she could not explain the rea- 
sons of her contentment or hint at her hopes 
of return. Mrs. Hope probably had her sus- 
picions, for she was rather urgent with Clover 
to leave this thing and that for safe keeping 
in case you ever come back;” but Clover 
declined these offers, and resolutely packed up 
everything with a foolish little superstition 
that it was better luck ” to do so, and that 
papa would like it better. 

Quite a little group of friends assembled at 
the railway station to see her and Phil set off. 
They were laden with flowers and fruit and 
natural soda-water” with which to beguile 
the long journey, and with many good wishes 


THE LAST OF THE CLOYEK-LEAVES. 299 

and affectionate hopes that they might return 
some day. 

Something tells me that you will/’ Mrs. 
Hope declared. I feel it in my bones, and 
they hardly ever deceive me. My mother had 
the same kind ; it ’s in the family.” 

“ Something tells me that you must/’ cried 
Poppy, embracing Clover; ‘^but I'm afraid 
it is n’t bones or anything prophetic, but 
only the fact that I want you to so very 
much.” 

From the midst of these farewells Clover’s 
eyes crossed the valley and sought out Mount 
Cheyenne. 

How differently I should be feeling,” she 
thought, if this were going away with no 
real hope of coming back ! I could hardly 
have borne to look at you had that been the 
case, you dear beautiful thing ; but I am com- 
ing back to live close beside you always, and 
oh, how glad I am ! ” 

Is that good-by to Cheyenne ? ” asked 
Marian, catching the little wave of a hand. 

Yes, it is good-by ; but I have prom- 


300 


CLOVER. 


ised him that it shall soon be how-do-you-do 
again. Mount Cheyenne and I understand 
each other.’' 

I know ; you have always had a senti- 
mental attachment to that mountain. Now 
Pike’s Peak is my affinity. We get on beau- 
tifully together.” 

Pike’s Peak indeed ! I am ashamed of 
you.” 

Then the train moved away amid a flutter 
of handkerchiefs, but still Clover and Phil 
were not left to themselves; for Dr. Hope, 
who had a consultation in Denver, was to 
see them safely ofl in the night express, 
and Geoff had some real or invented busi- 
ness which made it necessary for him to go 
also. 

Clover carried with her through all the 
three days’ ride the lingering pressure of 
Geoff’s hand, and his whispered promise to 
come on soon.” It made the long way seem 
short. But when they arrived, amid all the 
kisses and rejoicings, the exclamations over 
Phil’s look of health and vigor, the girls’ 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAVES. 301 

intense interest in all that she had seen and 
done, papa’s warm approval of her manage- 
ment, her secret began to burn guiltily with- 
in her. What would they all say when they 
knew ? 

And what did they say? I think few of 
you will be at a loss to guess. Life — real 
life as well as life in story-books — is full of 
such shocks and surprises. They are half 
happy, half unhappy ; but they have to be 
borne. Younger sisters, till their own turns 
come, are apt to take a severe view of mar- 
riage plans, and to feel that they cruelly in- 
terrupt a past order of things which, so far as 
they are concerned, need no improvement. 
And parents, who say less and understand 
better, suffer, perhaps, more. To bear, to 
rear, to lose,” is the order of family history, 
generally unexpected, always recurring. 

But true love is not selfish. In time it 
accustoms itself to anything which secures 
happiness for its object. Dr. Carr did confide 
to Katy in a moment of private explosion that 
he wished the Great West had never been 


302 


CLOVER. 


invented, and that such a prohibitory tax 
could be laid upon young Englishmen as to 
make it impossible that another one should 
ever be landed on our shores; but he had 
never in his life refused Clover anything upon 
which she had set her heart, and he saw in 
her eyes that her heart was very much set on 
this. John and Elsie scolded and cried, and 
then in time began to talk of their future 
visits to High Valley till they grew to antici- 
pate them, and be rather in a hurry for them 
to begin. Geoff’s arrival completed their 
conversion. 

‘‘ I^icer than Ned,” Johnnie pronounced 
him ; and even Dr. Carr was forced to confess 
that the sons-in-law with which Fate had pro- 
vided him were of a superior sort ; only he 
wished that they did n’t want to marry his 
girls ! 

Phil, from first to last, was in favor of the 
plan, and a firm ally to the lovers. He had 
grown extremely Western in his ideas, and 
was persuaded in his mind that this old 
East,” as he termed it, with its puny possi- 


THE LAST OF THE CLOVER-LEAVES. 303 


bilities, did not amount to much, and that as 
soon as he was old enough to shape his own 
destinies, he should return to the only sec- 
tion of the country worthy the attention of a 
young man of parts. Meanwhile, he was per- 
fectly well again, and willing to comply with 
his father’s desire that before he made any 
positive arrangements for his future, he should 
get a sound and thorough education. 

So you are actually going out to the wild and 
barbarous West, to live on a ranch, milk cows, chase 
the wild buffalo to its lair, and hold the tiger-cat 
by its favorite forelock,” wrote Rose Red. “ What 
was that you were saying only the other day about 
nice convenient husbands, who cruise off for ‘ good 
long times,’ and leave their wives comfortably at 
home with their own families ? And here you are 
planning to marry a man who, whenever he is n’t 
galloping after cattle, will be in your pocket at 
home ! Oh, Clover, Clover, how inconsistent a 
thing is woman, — not to say girl, — and what 
havoc that queer deity named Cupid does make 
with preconceived opinions! I did think I could 
rely on you ; but you are just as bad as the rest of 
us, and when a lad whistles, go off after him wher- 


304 


CLOYER. 


ever he happens to lead, and think it the best thing 
possible to do so. It ’s a mad world, my masters ; 
and I ’m thankful that Roslein is only four and a 
half years old.’’ 

And Clover’s answer was one line on a 
postal card, — 

“ Guilty, but recommended to mercy ! ” 


THE END. 


University Press: John Wilson & Son, Cambridge. 


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